Thinking about winging it in GC

[Embre]

The more I think about it the more likely it is my sister and I will probably just wing it it Grand Cayman, I just can't find anything specific that I really feel I must do. I would like to do some parasailing, thought about beginning scuba, but the price is a deterent....snorkeling would be fun. The sting rays really hold no interest for me...and that seems to be the most often mentioned activity.

 

Anyway....anyone have any suggestions of where to go and what to do on an "off the cuff" kinda day in GC?

[EBallgrl]

I remember last year getting off the tender and being bombarded with tours being offered to me (we already had one booked). So I would say that you could easily find a company at the port and get a great price on an excursion of your choosing! Good Luck! :D

[compguy]

It's no wonder that everyone mentions Stingrays. It is clearly the best thing do to in GC, short of scuba diving. If the idea of Stingrays freeks you out a bit, go somewhere along 7-mile beach. We visited Roal Palms for about an hour (that's all we had) and enjoyed it. Had real drinks and a pizza, went in the water, played w/ the sand-coral, and hit the road w/ just enough time to get on the ship and go to sea. Enjoy! Keep in mind you will have to pay for taxi ride ($4-5 pp), beach access (?), equipment and chair rentals (?), and the ride back. Hope this helps.

[jean-lynd]

Grand Cayman is a great place to "do your own thing".

 

Snorkeling - if you have your own equipment you can grab a taxi or the city bus and head to Cemetery Beach - or Eden Rock is within walking distance and they have rentals but not much beach.

 

Parasailing - http://www.reefgrill.com - You can do this at Reef Grill for $70 - they also rent snorkel gear for $15 (not the greatest snorkeling but you should see some things), chair rentals are $5 - umbrellas $10 - free showers and changing rooms and a nice bar/restaurant. Cab should be $4/person or the bus is $2.50/person.

 

Red Sail Sports offers parasailing at their locations. You can find their locations of their website.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Enjoy!

[gtcruzer]

we will be there next week and plan to go to royal palms on 7 mile to parasail.

then sit on the beach, go across the street to the fosters grocery store where i understand cuban cigars are cheaper than the tourist shops.

then go back and walk the tourist district.

we've done the turtle/hell/island tour thing before. it was nice but we want to relax this time.

will probably use the buses.

[Visa711]

Grand Cayman is a great place to "do your own thing".

 

Parasailing - www.reefgrill.com - You can do this at Reef Grill for $70

 

I'm wondering if the $70 is in US Dollars or GC Dollars. I'm planning on parasailing & want to be sure I have enough cash along with me!

[jean-lynd]

Visa - I am 99.9% sure that is cayman dollars. The week we were there I don't think there was anything that was priced in US dollars.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Enjoy!

[cot427]

Can anyonly elaborate or clearify the tours being offered at the tender pier?

 

I think we are going to wing it in Grand Cayman as well, although I am thinking either 7 mile Beach or just 1-2 hrs in Georgetown walking around then going back the the ship for the rest of the day.

[sdirector77]

My SIL, Neice and I took a cab to 7 mile beach and spent a few hours, ate at Cactus Jacks at Sea Grape Beach, nice facilities and cabs waiting for us to return. We still had time to shop. Great day.

[sbharr]

So, just to be sure - if we take a cab to Royal Palm, they will accept US Dollars everywhere? For the beach, the cab, etc?

 

TIA!:)

[jean-lynd]

sbharr - yes - they will accept US dollars everywhere.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Enjoy!

[futuresoonermom]

I'm wondering if the $70 is in US Dollars or GC Dollars. I'm planning on parasailing & want to be sure I have enough cash along with me!

 

 

if i am doing the currency converter thing right, that equals out to about 83.00 in american dollars...

 

first of all.. is this PP? and can that be right? i got some info from some other cruise critic folk that in cozumel, at nachi cocom, you can parasail for about 50.00 PP(american dollars)

 

i know that GC is more expensive overall, just making sure i'm calculating everything right.... there's no way we'll do it in GC if it's that much PP.

 

thanks in advance!

[jean-lynd]

Actually - I think it's $87.50.

[futuresoonermom]

Actually - I think it's $87.50.

 

okay thanks. that's a big POO and thumbs down.

 

 

:(

 

but we'll just try to do it in Cozumel instead. :cool:

[bookbabe]

FYI, Cayman and Cozumel are two vastly different places. Most stuff will be a lot cheaper in Cozumel. IMO, Cozumel is more a 'budget' destination, and Cayman is like the Beverly Hills of the Caribbean... ;)

[Johanna7]

You could just walk around the town, lots to see and when you get thirsty, you can go to a bar and order a Stingray beer for about 5 bucks US. They cannot export that beer as it does not travel well but it sure is good and very refreshing.

 

Then you can go back on the tender to the ship and eat lunch on board (n/c) and go back later if you wish.

 

This way you do see a lot but do not spend mega bucks.

[Disneybridein2k3]

After much discussion, we think we might be winging it too. We know we want to snorkel at some beach and really the only place we wanted to make sure we hit was the Tortuga Rum Factory - any idea how far it is from Port?

[tomko2]

The beach, the beach, the beach. Grand Cayman is one of our favourite ports; we simply take a taxi to the beach and enjoy ourselves swimming and relaxing on Seven Mile Beach. Photos in the link below.

Have a great time!

Kathy:)

[bermudagal56]

where on 7 mile beach do you recommend to go for the day? we are looking for an area that has food , drinks, chairs, bathroom facilities, etc.

[jean-lynd]

Disneybride - The Tortuga Rum Cake Factory is about 8 miles from the piers. It is in West Bay - north of 7 mile beach.

 

Bermudagal - The Reef Grill offers everything on your list.

 

I hope this helps!

 

Enjoy!

[tomko2]

where on 7 mile beach do you recommend to go for the day? we are looking for an area that has food , drinks, chairs, bathroom facilities, etc.

 

 

We generally go to the beach by the Hyatt but Sea Grapes is closer and seems to be just as nice so we plan on going there next time. Both have everything you are looking to rent/buy.

Kathy:)

[leaveitallbehind]

The more I think about it the more likely it is my sister and I will probably just wing it it Grand Cayman, I just can't find anything specific that I really feel I must do. I would like to do some parasailing, thought about beginning scuba, but the price is a deterent....snorkeling would be fun. The sting rays really hold no interest for me...and that seems to be the most often mentioned activity.

 

Anyway....anyone have any suggestions of where to go and what to do on an "off the cuff" kinda day in GC?

 

 

I'm going to echo what a lot of other people are saying but I agree with going it on your own - very good island to do that on.

 

We've renting a car this December there - $67.50 total for the day for an intermediate size - and are going to drive the island as much as possible.

 

Target places to see: Hell, Turtle farm, 7 mile beach, etc. Have also done the stingrays in the past and you can arrange that independantly on-line prior to your cruise to save some $ and to give you more flexiblility. That's how we saw them last time there.

 

Go on your own for sure.

[lcalle]

I was planning on "winging it" too.

 

The only excursion that kind of caught my eye was the wave runner tour thats 2 hours and they take you either to stingray city (which I don't care for) and the shipwreck sites, along with some snorkeling.

 

Not sure if this is a worth it excursion or if relaxing by the beach is a better idea.

 

if renting watersports is cheaper at cozumel, I might wait and do it there,

 

what do you guys recommend??

[mrsfuzzmo]

If you're winging it....

 

And you want to rent a jeep or car, be sure to travel to the other side of the island. It's a beautiful island filled with beaches and awesome scenery. Drive up to Rum Point area and then circle the long way around back to town.

 

If you want to snorkel, we highly recommend the Sunset House dive resort. Last cruise we "winged" it and took a right (South) off of the cruise ship pier. About 3/4 of a mile down is the Sunset House Dive resort. Cost nothing to use their facilities. There is NO beach. It's all rock/coral ledge at the water, but there are stairs into the crystal clear water there. They also have a wonderful "natural" (but probably man made) pool that you can get used to snorkeling in and then swim out into the ocean through the break in the wall. It was awesome snorkeling there. We LOVED it. After we were done snorkeling, we rinsed off in their showers and sat at the ocean. They have a big Palapa covered beach bar. There was wonderful island music playing the the food from the bar was the best we'd had all cruise. The food was not terribly expensive (compared to places in town in Georgetown). We drank a lot of beer, each had lunch and an appetizer and our bill was about $70 us. NOT BAD!!! I think we each had 6 beers. We LOVED this place and would go back there in a heartbeat, especially if we wanted to snorkel again. It was beautiful and relaxing. The view from the Beach bar (which was actually on concrete above the waterline, was terrific.

[BonnieVA]

Is it like Coz where you are approached w/ people from Avis, etc holding signs right at the end of the pier? You can rent right there on the spot. Can you do that in GC too?