After Capt Marvin's excursion...what else to do?

[scgirl816]

If we go on an excursion with Capt Marvins to Stingray City and the Coral Reef, etc, how far is that from the Tortuga Rum Cake Factory? We are in port from 7-5, and the excursion is either at 8:30-10:45 or 10-1...depending on what we decide to do. I'd love to go to the Rum Cake Factory or maybe a beach or something else fun... What are your thoughts?

 

Thanks!

[twinkletoes4445]

You could do an island tour which will take you to the rum cake place, Hell and the turtle farm. Then do the snorkeling excursion. After that I'd ask if they'd drop you at Royal Palms and there you could have a late lunch and enjoy some beach time and then just grab a cab back to the beach. There's also Sea Grape, which is the same type of place on 7MB-it has chairs for rent, food, restrooms and water toy rentals), but it's at the far end of 7MB where Royal Palms is closer, so that would give you more beach time.

 

Here's the Royal Palms website. The reef grill is their restaurant.

 

http://www.reefgrill.com/pages/cruiseinfo.html

[scgirl816]

If we didn't do the extra tour (not sure that anyone else is interested in the turtle farm), how far is the factory from Capt Marvin's? Thank you for the info on being able to walk to CM's! That beach sounds great, and so does the menu!

[twinkletoes4445]

If we didn't do the extra tour (not sure that anyone else is interested in the turtle farm), how far is the factory from Capt Marvin's? Thank you for the info on being able to walk to CM's! That beach sounds great, and so does the menu!

 

 

The rum cake place that I am talking about is small. It's near the old turtle farm (just up the street from the new turtle farm), but you don't actually tour the facility. There's a glass window and you can watch what's going on in the room. I seem to remember watching them bake the cakes or at least doing something with the cakes. We've not been there the last couple of times we visited the island, so I don't recall exactly what was going on, but it's not a "tour" of the factory.

 

There may be another place that offer this, but we've not been there.

 

To get to CM's dock, they'll take you up 7MB (away from the port) and turn next to the Courtyard Marriott. The rum cake place is pretty far beyond that. There is another Tortuga rum cake place in the port area. It faces the water and is on the opposite side as 7MB area. If you're walking towards the Hard Rock, you'll see it. It's a small shop where you can buy rum cakes and rum.

 

We only did a tour of the island because we wanted to get a look at the area. I have friends who have time shares there and they love the place, so we just wanted to look around. We ended up loving the place and now we go back for vacations there. We've never been back to the turtle farm since. Well, we did go inside the new turtle farm gift shop just to look around, but we've not paid the entrance fee to see the turtles.

 

If I were you, I'd do the stingray tour, then head to the beach. After this you could head to the rum cake place in town and get your cakes. The first time we were there, we ended up buying the rum cakes on ship since we were pinched for time. Now, I order them online, have them shipped to my house so I don't hassle with carrying them home for friends. But it is fun to go to the rum cake stores because they offer samples of all their cakes. It's fun trying them. :)

[scgirl816]

Wonderful! Exactly the information I was looking for...thank you! I think that is what we'll do if everyone else is up to it.

 

OH! One more question...we want to rent jet skis somewhere...either Cayman or Key West. Is that one of the water toys available at that other beach? Do you have a preference one beach over the other, or is it just distance that makes one better than the other?

 

Thank you!

[twinkletoes4445]

Red Sail operates out of several of the hotels along 7MB and at Rum Point. Here's their list of activities and the costs. Red Sail is at the Courtyard Marriott which is right next to, or in the same general area as Sea Grape.

 

http://www.redsailcayman.com/pdf/GC_LOA.pdf

 

 

Kirk's provides the water sports at Royal Palms. Here's their websites.

 

http://www.kirkseatours.com/diveshop.shtml

 

We've not been to Sea Grape or Royal Palms (we've only driven by them). We always tend to stay right in front of the condo we rent which is right next door to the Marriott Beach resort.

 

I really think both Sea Grape and Royal Palms are about the same, with Royal Palms getting the edge from me because it's closer to the port area. For some reason it never seems to fail that when we're down near Sea Grape the traffic is always slow around the Ritz. If you do go to Sea Grape just give yourself an extra 20 minutes or so to get back to the port. You might start a thread and ask posters which they prefer and why. From what I've read both have a nice sandy entrance to the water, which is nice.

 

Have fun! :)