Little Cayman Beach Resort - Book direct or TA? Which meal plan?

[Kryssa]

Thinking about visiting LCBR next year and starting to look around at their site.

Is the best deal to book direct with them? Or can I get a better price if I book through a TA and include airfare? Any TAs to recommend?

I saw there are 2 meal plans - breakfast & dinner or breakfast, lunch, & dinner. If you don't opt for all 3 meals to be included, what are the lunch options? Is it better to just include lunch in the package since you're diving 3 times a day on their schedule?

Thanks!

 

[Rand]

I can't give you much advice on the flights as ours were included in part of a package a shop had set up when we went there. Whatever you do, make sure you base your arrival/departure times off of the Cayman Airways flight times. Their puddle jumper schedule should dictate your other flights. I believe LC's airport still does not have lights, so they don't land after dark there, FYI.

We went with the 3 meal plan, and I would suggest you do the same. There really aren't a lot of other food options on the island, and none are close. Plus, if you are doing the afternoon dive, your fastest and most convenient option is to eat at LCBR. You probably wouldn't have time to head off the resort and make it back in time to catch the boat.

 

[fisheater]

Another vote for "three squares a day."

There really aren't any other options, especially if you're going to go back out on the afternoon boat.

 

[Damselfish]

Yeah, if you're diving afternoons and want to eat lunch, get the full meal plan. No other practical option unless you're going to do PB and jelly in your room.

Good advice about paying attention to the Cayman Air schedule when making your other flights, even though you may not have a lot of options. You might check not only the schedule, but the availability. Flights at popular times tend to fill up.

As with most mainstream dive resorts and air travel in the Caribbean, I doubt you will do better with a travel agent than you can by booking everything on your own.

 

[AggieDiver]

I think you can get lunch at the bar, but it isn't particularly cheap compared to the meal plan. The only other option you really have is to eat sandwiches in your room or something like that if you plan to do the afternoon dives. If you don't plan to add any afternoon dives, there still are very few options to eat elsewhere on the island. We always get the 3 meal plan and have never felt like we didn't get our money's worth on food.

As for booking, I don't think they do much in the way of discounted bookings through travel agents. So you are unlikely to get much of a discount that way. If you call Reef Fantaseas (the stateside travel agent that handles bookings for LCBR), they sometimes have discounted airfares, but it is generally on Cayman Air, so if you would be flying direct to GC from a location Cayman Air doesn't serve, you would not be likely to save much money. As was said above, plan your air travel carefully, because there are some flights that get in too late to make the last flight over to Little Cayman.

 

[scubadada]

I booked LCBR directly and booked my airfare separately. I'm lucky, have a direct flight to Grand Cayman from Philadelphia on US Airways. It was easy to book corresponding flights on Cayman Airways. I'll add my vote for the 3 meals per day. We did all the afternoon dives and it was the only way to go.

 

[Doctorfish]

I don't think there is any real benefit to going through an agent. I always book direct and book airfare separately. The price I have paid and the prices that some of the scuba shops and agents advertise seem about the same. If you can afford it, full meal plan and 3 dives per day is the way to go. Some LCBR packages also include 2 drinks per day. There is no nitrox package and the dive shop charges $10 per tank which to me has always seemed a bit of a rip off compared to GC or Bonaire, but they are the only game in town.

LCBR is a great dive lodge and Little Cayman diving is special, so even though the price for a week is higher than GC, Bonaire or Coz, I think it is worth it.

 

[Tailspin]

I believe LC's airport still does not have lights....

Bwaaa Ha Ha ... LC airport is a cow pasture without the cows. The 'terminal' is also the post office and fire station.

Agree on the 3 meal plan, but try to drop 20 pounds before you go, because you will gain it while you're there!

 

[AggieDiver]

At least they paved the runway...but you still have to cross the main road to get from the runway to the terminal.

 

[diver 85]

Take the breakfast & dinner plan then eat a 'light' lunch @ the bar---much cheaper if I remember correctly & you'll be able to eat a ton @ breakfast & dinner to make up for the 'light' lunch....