How oftens does Grand Cayman Get Skipped

[rtfnl]

I know that no one can predict the weather and the sea; however how often does Grand Cayman get skipped because of the sea conditions in early December?

[Tiffany1203]

It did for a cruise I was on once because of the weather. Carnival gave some people (who were in the theater complaining about it) on the ship a 25.00 credit to their sign and sail to compensate the port charges for Grand Caymen.

[1kycat]

Unfortunately, in the fall and winter, it happens quite regularly. It all depends upon the weather. If a cold front is approaching the south coast…then the chances are good that your ship will not stop. I've only tried in the winter... and it's been 50/50 for me. I'm sure that others have had better success.

[pavteam]

We have been on 3 cruises with scheduled Grand Cayman stops. October, May and December. The only time we could not stop in Grand Cayman was our first cruise - October of 2003. It was not because of weather - it was a medical emergency and we had to bypass GC to get the person to Cozumel - we went on to Costa Mayan and then went back to Cozumel on our scheduled port call.

[Northshorecruisers]

Glad to hear that a medical need will take over for our need to visit.

We will be doing Georgetown, Grand Caymen in November. I've never been there before so I hope we can make the visit. We have booked private excursions but hear that they will waive the charges if we can't come into port. Mt online TA that I found told me to make sure we could be refunded if we couldn't go ashore.

[pavteam]

Yes, I made sure that if we couldn't port, we'd get a refund before I booked our non Carnival excursion for last December in Grand Cayman and also for our cruise in Sept/Oct on the Glory when we visited St Thomas & St Marteen. This December we are using the same company that we used last December for our snorkle trip & stingray city in Grand Cayman. Have fun!

[LHP]

When we were there NYE 2002, we were able to get off the ship that morning but the waves got rough after lunch...so they stopped letting anyone else OFF and would only let people on.

[carnival lover]

We were on the Thanksgiving cruise last year on the Inspiration and we had to skip Grand Cayman for rough seas. Carnival refunded our shore excursion money and we went to Progresso instead.

[Cruisin Suzi]

Last Wednesday (10/31 on HAL Westerdam) we made it in, but we anchored off of Spotts Bay which is 4 miles from Georgetown. The water was too rough to go into Georgetown, but Spotts Bay is on the southern coast with much calmer seas. I had never read anything about this alternative pier, so was pretty worried about our Moby Dick stingray tour we had booked. But all (well at least alot) of the tour operators had expected us to come in there, so they were waiting for us with their signs held up high. It was pretty crazy though with all of the people looking for their tour and the area is very rustic to say the least. But it worked and we made our tour. We did hear that the day before no ships made it in due to rough seas (thanks to Hurricane Noel).

 

There were taxi's waiting in Georgetown to take us back to the ship. But a word of WARNING!!!!! Who knew that Grand Cayman would have a rush hour???? We left Georgetown at 4:40 for a supposedly 15 minute ride to the pier. The last tender was to leave at 5:30. The traffic was bumper to bumper on a 2 lane road for 4 miles!!! Talk about nerve wracking, I thought for sure we would be stranded in Grand Cayman (hmmm...maybe that wouldn't be so bad...) Well we made it to the pier at 5:20 and just caught the last tender. I have no idea if anyone missed the ship, but they were calling names over the intercom as we were getting off the tender.

[renata102]

so what are the alternatives instead of Grand Caymen. I heard Progresso (is that mexico). Where else can we go?

[BleednBlu]

Do they go to a different port if they skip Cayman Island?

[drew sailbum]

Whether another port can be substituted depends, in part, upon the itinerary of the ship. A ship which is scheduled on an around-Cuba trip will usually have a stop in Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Mexico/Belize. In such cases if you can't tender into GC the ship will just spend the day at sea on its way to the next port.

 

Some ships make a couple stops along the Western Caribbean coast in places like Honduras, Belize, and/or Mexico and then also have a stop scheduled in Cayman. If...

1)the captain knows with reasonable certainty that the conditions will be too rough to tender in Cayman, and

2) another port within sailing distance can accomodate them...

then there is the possibility of a reschedule.

 

Most often you end up with an extra day at sea.

 

 

As one poster noted, there is an alternate site on Grand Cayman for tender arrivals. This alternate site at the Spotts Dock can only accomodate up to three ships. If more than three ships are scheduled a day when the alternate site is in use then some ships will be left with a sea day. Spotts Dock is not really close to anything! Hop a bus to George Town, and fast! Remember to plan for an early return to the dock as Grand Cayman is notorious for nasty rush hour traffic!

[reno3]

We were on the Thanksgiving cruise last year on the Inspiration and we had to skip Grand Cayman for rough seas. Carnival refunded our shore excursion money and we went to Progresso instead.

 

OMG:D If we can't make Grand Cayman I hope we go to Progresso. I was hoping for Progresso and not Roatan when Costa Maya was canceled. I want to got to the ruins.

[ColoradoMom!!]

It was skipped today on the Freedom.:(

[squeeks]

missed it on the enchantment on the...18th? i think

[Jade13]

It was skipped today on the Freedom.:(

 

Grand Cayman was skipped? Where did you go instead?

 

The Celebrity Century cruise (5 night) is only Key West and Grand Cayman. I would be curious where they go if they miss Grand Cayman, since by law they must make a foreign port.

[woodofpine]

We have been on 3 cruises with scheduled Grand Cayman stops. October, May and December. The only time we could not stop in Grand Cayman was our first cruise - October of 2003. It was not because of weather - it was a medical emergency and we had to bypass GC to get the person to Cozumel - we went on to Costa Mayan and then went back to Cozumel on our scheduled port call.

 

 

Cancellation of GC happens pretty regularly. We've been lucky and not been cancelled in 3 visits. Our last was a mooring at Spotts Bay where we got in to the exclusion of a couple of other ships because we were off loading a medical emergency (ambulance awaiting on the fairly tiny pier).

[momofthreegoobs]

GC was skipped in Jan 04 b/c of weather. We were scheduled to go into Cozumel the next day so we just kept on there & got there in the evening. It was so much fun at Carlos & Charlie's! Definetly not a place for kids. I would have much rather gone to GC!! I have never been there & I am so excited to go in a couple weeks!! I am hoping & praying we get to go! My husband & I have been on 2 cruises...our first one we were supposed to go to Calica & Cozumel but b/c of Hurricane Lilly (I will never forget the name of that hurricane!) so we had to go to Veracruz. Not very impressed. The people there were very nice & it wasn't dirty or anything....just not touresty w/ things to do & stuff.

 

does anybody know if Captain Marvins is good about refunding if the port is skipped? & if your kids don't get in the water....do you still have to pay for them?

 

Thank you!