Beach Club Colony - on own or thru ship?

[snorkelman]

I will be on RCL and they offer an excursion (GC72) called Seven Mile beach Break with lunch and transportation. It costs $50 per person and is 3 hours 30 minutes and includes transportation on a bus to the Beach Club Colony on Seven Mile Beach. The excursion includes admission to use the facilities, a lounge chair, buffet lunch and complimentary welcome drink & changing rooms and fresh water shower. "Additional activities are available at an extra cost and are not part of this tour package."

 

I am wondering whether my wife and I are better off to just hire a taxi to BCC and pay whatever the entry fee is there.

 

I am not sure what the prices are, so I would appreciate any info so that I can determine if it is better to spend $100 through the ship for my wife and I. Obviously if I use the taxi myself that I can stay as long as I wish...I recognize that benefit. My main issue is the price comparison.

[jean-lynd]

You may want to check out the Reef Grill at http://www.Reefgrill.com they have their menu posted and I believe it has their prices so you can figure out what you would order and what it would cost. They charge $5 for a chair and $10 for an umbrella. A cab there is $4/person. They have free showers and changing area. It looks to me like 2 chairs, 1 umbrella and cab would run $36 so that leaves $64 for lunch and a drink. I'm sure you can do that for $40 - so that leaves you with an extra $24 for whatever you want. The only thing that I think you would get at the Beach Club that you won't get at the Reef Grill is a pool. If I remember the beach areas correctly, I believe the beach at the Reef Grill was much nicer and bigger then the area at the Beach Club. Also, you would be able to choose what you want to eat and when you want to go back and forth.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Enjoy!

[allentownahoy]

Does one tip the cab driver and if so, how much?

Ruth

[bookbabe]

I am not sure what the prices are, so I would appreciate any info so that I can determine if it is better to spend $100 through the ship for my wife and I. Obviously if I use the taxi myself that I can stay as long as I wish...I recognize that benefit. My main issue is the price comparison.

 

Normally, I'm a diehard "ship tour" person. I prefer the security of having the ship arrange everything and be responsible for any problems, etc.

 

Cayman would be the one exception. $50 per person is a lot for a beach break there, unless you're a really, really big eater.

 

Beaches are free in Cayman, so the extra you're paying is just for the food and use of the facilities at Beach Club Colony.

 

Royal Palms (Reef Grill) and Sea Grape are two sections of Seven Mile Beach that both have free showers and restrooms. The only thing Beach Club Colony has that they don't is a pool. The main difference would be that at the other two spots, you pay individually for each item you use (food, chairs, umbrellas) instead of having them included in a set price. jean-lynd's price breakdown is a good one...and the reason I say that the ship tour is only a good deal if you're a really big eater. :D The food wasn't anything to rave about at Beach Club Colony, though. Personally, I like the food at Royal Palms better...