Grand Cayman - what to see and do

[WDWLVR]

Grand Cayman is a stop on Disney's 7 day Western Cruises. What are your favorite things to do? Disney excursions or on your own. Share it here with your fellow cruisers!

****** UPDATED 5/27/09 ******
This post has been updated to include many reviews that are not posted on this thread from the past year on the main cruise forum. Click on the links to see specific reviews. If you would like a review that you have posted on the boards or in a trip report included in this listing, please PM one of the moderators on this forum to have it added.

Atlantis Sub Excursion -

Black Pearl Skatepark - **

Boatswain's Adventure Marine Park - **, **, **, **, Website, , **, **,
**, **

Butterfly Farm / Hell / Turtle Farm - **

Captain Marvins - **, 1/2 day, Hell & Turtle Farm Tour, **, **

Car Rental - **, **, **

City Bus (Jitney) out to Hell and back - **

Dolphin Discovery - **, Website

Driving around on your own - **

Fishing - With Captain Marvin's, Bertram Deep Sea Fishing

Horseback Riding - **

Island Tour - **, **

Margaritaville - **, **, **

Moby Dick Tours - **

Nativeways Watersports - **, Island Tour and Stingray City, Stingray City, Coral Gardens & Starfish Snorkel, Rays, Reef & Rum Point Tour, Rays, Stingray City, Coral Gardens & Starfish Snorkel, **, **

Nautilus Undersea Tour - , **

Pirate Encounter - **, **, With pictures, **, **, **, **, **

Reele Sea Charters Snorkling - **

Royal Palms - **

Rum Point Beach - **, , **, **, **, ****, **, **, **, **

Scuba Diving - **, **, **

Sea Grape Beach - **, **, **, **

Sea Treck Helmet Dive - , Sea Treck Website, **, **, **

Seaworld Explorer Semi-Submarine - **

Seven Mile Beach - **, **, **, **, **, **

Smith Cove [local beach] - **

Stingray City through Capt. Marvins - **, **. **, **, **, **, **, **, **, 1/2 day

Stingray City with Chip Whitney - **

Stingray City and Island Tour - **

Stingray Swim and Snorkle with Native Way (booked independently) - **

Tortuga Rum Cake Factory - **, **

Turtle Farm on Own - See Black Pearl Skatepark.

Wave Runner Rentals - **

Westin Dayroom - **, **, **, **

Wreck of the Cali Snorkling - Website, **, **

 

[LindaBabe]

My husband took the Stingray swim and Snorkle with Native Way (booked independently). He really enjoyed it and had only good things to say about it. It cost less than the Disney excursion, and they met him right at the tender dock.

I took the city bus (jitney) out to Hell and back. We were going to ride it in the other direction (beyond South Sound) in the afternoon but I got tired. It was interesting because 'only' natives take the bus and I felt like I saw REAL Life Cayman, rather than the artificial tourist world of jewelry and tee shirt shops.

Next trip, the plan is to visit the Botanical Garden, and maybe the Blue Iguana rehab center.

 

[cruiseman]

My favorite thing to do there is just get a cab and go to the Black Pearl Skatepark. It is very fun!





Cant wait till my cruise!!!!

 

[Frye7127]

We got a day room at the Westin and spent the day there. After a day at sea full of jam-packed and loud pool action, it was nice and relaxing to have a day at a quiet resort. My 16 year old spent the day snoozing while lying out and my 6-year-old learned to snorkel in the pool and truly wore it out. Had a nice lunch, walked the beach, and shopped in the gift shop. After a full day, we all showered, cleaned up, and changed clothes, grabbed a cab who took us the scenic route due to traffic, dropped us at the pier and we walked to a couple of gift shops before tendering back to the ship.

A great day!

 

[aprilgail2]

Booked stingray city through Capt. Marvins. My 4 year old LOVED the snorkle stops and the stingray part was the highlight of her cruise. She still talks about going in the water and feeding one a slimy piece of eel! She loved just petting the stingrays there!

 

[PhotoLisa]

Another positive response for Capt. Marvin's. Book them independently.

http://www.captainmarvins.com/

 

[b&j's_mom]

Another positive response for Capt. Marvin's. Book them independently.

http://www.captainmarvins.com/

We loved Capt Marvins as well. Stringray tour was amazing.

 

[jd99]

We got a day room at the Westin and spent the day there. After a day at sea full of jam-packed and loud pool action, it was nice and relaxing to have a day at a quiet resort. My 16 year old spent the day snoozing while lying out and my 6-year-old learned to snorkel in the pool and truly wore it out. Had a nice lunch, walked the beach, and shopped in the gift shop. After a full day, we all showered, cleaned up, and changed clothes, grabbed a cab who took us the scenic route due to traffic, dropped us at the pier and we walked to a couple of gift shops before tendering back to the ship.

A great day!

We did this as well in August and it was great. Had stayed at the Westin on a trip to GC a few years ago and found it just as relaxing and beautiful as ever. DD2 was able to take a nice quiet nap in the room even and we all played in the pool, on the beach, at the swim up bar (!) and had lunch. Gecko stole DD2's bread and that was a funny sight watching her scream at a gecko who high tailed it outta there.

 

[becca_n_wa]

Another positive response for Capt. Marvin's. Book them independently.

http://www.captainmarvins.com/

Morning Lisa!

You guys that have done captianmarvins, is the boat ride bad? Thinking about my DH doing the 3 hr with my 9 and 6 yr old but I do not want the kids to get seasick.

 

[PhotoLisa]

Morning Lisa!

You guys that have done captianmarvins, is the boat ride bad? Thinking about my DH doing the 3 hr with my 9 and 6 yr old but I do not want the kids to get seasick.

Becca:

One of the times we did Capt Marvin's was when we cruised on Carnival. Carnival cancelled ALL of the excursions that day saying the surf was too rough. Capt Marvin's said they couldn't understand why the ship had cancelled everything. When we went out to Stingray City, we couldn't figure it out either! The surf was not bad at all.

This year, we're taking waverunners out to Stingray City through Stingray City Wave Runners Adventure. I would have never booked this excursion independently if I was worried about the surf. We have a waverunner here at home and we LOVE taking it out so much that that is the reason we're doing the waverunners to Stingray City in February.

 

[LOLA2]

does Captain Marvins come pick you up from port or must you take taxi there? How long does the excursion last?

 

[deebs]

I just wanted to say that stingray City is amazing...I did it years ago.

We signed up for the Pirate beach excursion, forgot what its called. Hoping it'll be fun for our 3 and 5 year old

 

[Mom24Princesses]

We're booked on a Western and I wanted to join this thread. We have a little time BUT I like to get over educated - - -got DH and I a week on St. Thomas

 

[becca_n_wa]

does Captain Marvins come pick you up from port or must you take taxi there? How long does the excursion last?

THey have one that is 2 hours, one 3 hours, and all day.

I have booked the 3 hr one for my DH and my 2 younger kids. I think they will have a blast. We have Sting Ray Reef in the mall in Nashville. My kids LOVE to go feed and pet the sting rays!

Cap. Marvins sent me an email conformation. You have to report 30 min. prior to thier office. They said the office is about 2 blocks away from where the ships are.

Since my DM and older DS are not snorkle or stingray lovers, I booked the land tour through Cap. Marvins for the 3 of us.

 

[MrToady]

Capt. Marvins sounds great, but can you take a 4 year old?

 

[becca_n_wa]

Capt. Marvins sounds great, but can you take a 4 year old?

YES!

 

[maps]

I also used Nativeways Watersports and can't say enough good things about them (we even have the video from the day that they made)

My 6&7 yr olds loved it. We were 4 of the 8 total passengers onboard the 28ft boat. There were 2 guides and a videographer.

We went snorkeling, sting ray city and then to Rum Point Beach (lunch was included). We were in the water all day!

The guides were great--jumped in the water to pick up starfish for pictures, made sure we were totally comfortable with the rays and gave us lots of touch time with them (the rays, I mean!) and even let my kids "drive" the boat.

It was definitely a worthwhile excursion.

 

[PhotoLisa]

Capt. Marvin's website shows that children under 4 are free. I've seen many people in other threads looking for an excursion they can take their younger children on. It looks like this is a good alternative for those that can't snorkel with their younger children on Disney booked excursions.

 

[delta0413]

We were on the Magic in October and had the pleasure of taking the 3 hour Stingray City snorkle trip (second time). Captain Marvin himself was our skipper. He is 90 years old and is as fit as any 50 year old I've seen.

I recommend the 3 hour vs. the 2 hour... one more stop to snorkle.

Their office is only 2 blocks away from where the tender will drop you off. As you get off the tender, go to the road and turn left. It's a short walk. The videographer we had was excellent and the DVD is a great keepsake.

Enjoy!!!

 

[becca_n_wa]

We were on the Magic in October and had the pleasure of taking the 3 hour Stingray City snorkle trip (second time). Captain Marvin himself was our skipper. He is 90 years old and is as fit as any 50 year old I've seen.

I recommend the 3 hour vs. the 2 hour... one more stop to snorkle.

Their office is only 2 blocks away from where the tender will drop you off. As you get off the tender, go to the road and turn left. It's a short walk. The videographer we had was excellent and the DVD is a great keepsake.

Enjoy!!!

That is so cool that they make a video!