Allura Catamaran to Stingray City Sandbar

[Jesterscourt]

This is listed as an attractive shore excursion by Princess at Grand Cayman. It leaves later in the morning (11:30 AM) avoiding the early morning rush. They claim it is spacious and comfortable with available shade and a restroom. It also looks like it doesn't hold too many people. The only disadvantage I can think of is not having enough time to go to Seven Mile Beach afterward (which you could after a morning tour). Would value an alumni opinion. Continue to hope for no Hurricane before our Oct. cruise!

[ggprincess2004]

We love the Allura and her older sister, the Cockatoo. My best advice - go as early in the morning as possible. The sandbar gets very crowded and stays crowded throughout the day. The sun in higher and hotter as the morning wears on. We are not "beach babies" so having been there, done that re: seven mile beach was enough for us. Of course, you may love the beach, so go for it!

IF you can get the first, very early catamaran to the sandbar for the stingrays you have a chance of fewer people. We had the excellent fortune to be the first boat there (Cockatoo) once, and have the stingrays all to ourselves, and we were only 16 - they hold about 50-60 people - and have stingrays eager for "breakfast". It was fantastic.

Both the Cockatoo and Allura have a great crew, with excellent "stingray wranglers". I am sure you willhave a wonderful time - but whenever we make port in Grand Cayman, not only do we visit the rays, we try to do it as early as possible on either the Cockatoo (which is older and showing her age) or the Allura.

[B8C]

We took the Allura but it was only scheduled for mid-morning/early afternoon excursion. This ended up being a great time for us since we missed many of the earlier crowds. Our friends took an earlier excursion and had many more boats at that time.