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Grand Cayman? Anyone??

redneck_toy

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Looking at going to Grand Cayman this year for vacation. Stopped there on a cruise back in 2016. Loved the island.
Just not sure where to stay. It'll be my wife, my 19 yo daughter and me.
Any suggestions that dont break the bank? Looking to stay around 6-7 nights.
Would like something along 7 mile beach, or maybe Georgetown.
 

redneck_toy

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We're not much for night life. Just want a sandy beach, and plenty of Margaritas and cigars during the day. Daughter wants to snorkel...
 
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I loved the Marriott on Seven mile beach. It was about $270/night. I went there to swim so I shared the room expense with a friend.

It’s very, very expensive, but there is a great little bus service to downtown and around the island. They have been trying to rebuild the reefs up after being destroyed by Hugo long, long ago.

It’s my favorite spot in this earth to deep, free ocean swim.

You can go snorkeling at Stingray City if that’s your thing.

It’s very, very laid back.

They do have a big warehouse/grocery store. Lovely waters, and chickens and iguanas are everywhere.

I’m glad I’ve been there, but there are so many other places I would revisit. Though it’s the safest place if uneventful too.


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redneck_toy

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@egledhill likes to throw down big dollars for the fancy islands

maybe he can help

I fancy St Thomas more
Actually looked @ the US Virgin islands, but not much was available in our time frame. What was available was north of $2800/per person for 6 nights without airfare. (Bolongo on St. Croix) I'm not that baller.
 

redneck_toy

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I loved the Marriott on Seven mile beach. It was about $270/night. I went there to swim so I shared the room expense with a friend.

It’s very, very expensive, but there is a great little bus service to downtown and around the island. They have been trying to rebuild the reefs up after being destroyed by Hugo long, long ago.

It’s my favorite spot in this earth to deep, free ocean swim.

You can go snorkeling at Stingray City if that’s your thing.

It’s very, very laid back.

They do have a big warehouse/grocery store. Lovely waters, and chickens and iguanas are everywhere.

I’m glad I’ve been there, but there are so many other places I would revisit. Though it’s the safest place if uneventful too.


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It is a beautiful place. Safety is a huge concern, as my daughter will be with us. Never felt uneasy while we were there.
Jamaica - not so much. Beautiful place, but never felt at ease there. Same thing with Playa del Carmen and Cozumel. Tourist places are nice. Rest of it- not so much.
 
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Yep. I would not bring my kids to most places. Jamaica, the DR or Mexico, even though all those places have special things kids would like.

Yes Grand Cayman is locked down tight, though the locals live in a part of the island called Hell. But it’s pretty tame. It’s the far West of the island.


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redneck_toy

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Well, we decided to fly into Key West instead. Staying 7 nights. Hotel and flight were half the price of any island I checked. All booked and ready to go. Now to wait till July 7th....
 
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Please post up what you decided to do! Lots of good cigar places and a couple of rum distilleries in the area if you get away from the resort.
 
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I loved the Marriott on Seven mile beach. It was about $270/night. I went there to swim so I shared the room expense with a friend.

It’s very, very expensive, but there is a great little bus service to downtown and around the island. They have been trying to rebuild the reefs up after being destroyed by Hugo long, long ago.

It’s my favorite spot in this earth to deep, free ocean swim.

You can go snorkeling at Stingray City if that’s your thing.

It’s very, very laid back.

They do have a big warehouse/grocery store. Lovely waters, and chickens and iguanas are everywhere.

I’m glad I’ve been there, but there are so many other places I would revisit. Though it’s the safest place if uneventful too.


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Stayed there as well probably 8-10 years ago. My wife’s father works for Marriott so we tend to stay at a Marriott property everywhere we go at a significant discount.

Grand Cayman was one of the nicer islands of the ones I’ve been to between there St. Thomas and Barbados. But Barbados has some very cool stuff to do and highly recommend.

Stingray City was cool.


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I loved the Marriott on Seven mile beach. It was about $270/night. I went there to swim so I shared the room expense with a friend.

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The problem with the Marriott is that they have essentially lost their beach due to erosion. They are negotiating (unsuccessfully) with the local government as to how to mitigate the problem, and estimate they are currently losing about $4 million per year in lost bookings. Seven Mile Beach north of there is fine.

In addition to cigar smoking, my other hobby is diving. A lot of divers I know stay at the Sunshine Suites. Their rates are very reasonable (for Cayman) and you can save some additional bucks by doing some of your own cooking. They are owned by the Westin and are located across the street from the Westin mid seven mile beach. The beach is nice there. You pay a small fee and can use all the beach facilities and pool at the Westin. And their restaurant, the Sunshine Grill, is a favorite, especially for breakfast. Also, the Westin has the Red Sail Watersports on the premises, where you can rent all kinds of water toys (paddleboards, kayaks, snorkel gear, etc.) . And if you get inspired to try diving they will do an hour pool session with you there and then take you out on a guided dive that leaves from the Westin beach. We walk up the Westin a couple of times a week to have a drink and snack at their beachfront bar.

Cigars: They are somewhat expensive here but of course you can purchase Cubans here. The two places I would recommend are Old Havana Cigars (downtown Georgetown), and Club Havana (they have two outlets - one is a fancy cigar bar/restaurant and the other is smaller and mostly a cigar shop and bar - go to the smaller on on west bay road in the West Shore Centre mall.) Club Havana has a roller on premises and their house cigar (made with Cuban tobacco) is excellent. I'n a Nicaraguan fan and bring my own from our home up north. Sitting on the beach at sunset smoking a cigar - it almost doesn't matter what you are smoking - it's going to be great.

Things to do: beach, beach and beach. And eat - almost every restaurant on the island is good. If you are into music at night, check out the Lodge at the Strand Mall on West Bay road. I occasionally sit in with the bands there. I would avoid Stingray city - unless you want to hold a stingray together with 500 of your closest friends all clammering for a ray to feed or hold. And I would avoid the turtle "center" (it used to be called the turtle farm, as they raise the turtles for meat, but they thought it would be better to rebrand it as a "center".) I'd rather swim with the turtles than eat them.

One very cool thing we take our visitors to is a bioluminescnce snorkel trip. You can snorkel at night in the middle of millions of microscopic luminescent dinoflagellates. Cayman is home to one of very few bioluminescent bays in the world, so worth doing.

Happy to answer any other questions.
 
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