ronski101
Contributor
we were really looking forward to doing the direct flight from miami to brac so we could avoid the puddle jumper but now you got us worried.
Cayman Brac Trip Report/BRBR
- Thread starter BDSC
- Start date
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OP
BDSC
Contributor
You should be fine! AA canceled out flight from Raleigh/Durham to Miami that morning but our friends that were flying from Baltimore that same morning had their flight go as scheduled with AA. They caught the Cayman Air jet from Miami to the Brac just as planned and got there around lunchtime I believe.
Thanks for the great trip report! We just made our reservations today for a 2 week trip to the Caymans in late October. We have been to Grand Cayman a few times and the last time we were there we spent a week on GC and a week on the Aggressor diving off LC and CB ; it was wonderful! But we have never stayed on land on either of the smaller islands.
This trip we will be spending a week on GC and the second week at the Brac Reef Beach Resort. We will be traveling on US Air and Cayman Air. I got very lucky at the Our World Underwater Scuba Show in Chicago in February and I won a free week for myself at the BRBR! My trip includes the accomodations, 2 dives per day, and transfers. We only have to add on the cost for my husband, so it is a very nice deal.
I am trying to decide if we should add on a third dive per day ($300 for both of us) and if we should add on lunch for both of us $for 228? I believe that the upgrade to a junior suite is $400 and I am not sure the extras are worth that price. We'd appreciate your advice! Thanks in advance.
This trip we will be spending a week on GC and the second week at the Brac Reef Beach Resort. We will be traveling on US Air and Cayman Air. I got very lucky at the Our World Underwater Scuba Show in Chicago in February and I won a free week for myself at the BRBR! My trip includes the accomodations, 2 dives per day, and transfers. We only have to add on the cost for my husband, so it is a very nice deal.
I am trying to decide if we should add on a third dive per day ($300 for both of us) and if we should add on lunch for both of us $for 228? I believe that the upgrade to a junior suite is $400 and I am not sure the extras are worth that price. We'd appreciate your advice! Thanks in advance.
OP
BDSC
Contributor
Howdy Kathy!
In my opinion, I don't think it would be worth an extra $400 to upgrade to a "suite". Like I said, it pretty much gets you a mini fridge, a leather chair which we never sat in, and a dvd player we never used.
As far as lunch goes, I know they have a bar menu that gives you a lot of choices and so you could probably eat a little cheaper if you did that but I'm not sure it would be all that much cheaper. At $114 per person for the buffet and if you were to get 7 lunches out of it, that's a little over $16 for lunch. I would think that by the time you ordered an item from the bar with a drink and then leave a tip you'd spend close to that. But even if not, I think it would be worth the extra few dollars more to have several choices for lunch.
Don't know what to tell you about the afternoon dive. When we were there we had several folks that didn't do the afternoon dive because they just wanted to relax by the pool or in the hammocks on the beach even though the dive was already included in the package. If the price is $300 for both of you, that's 5 extra dives each so it would be $30 a dive. That's certainly not a bad price at all for the extra dives. You just need to decide if you will be diving on GC before you get to the Brac and will you still want more diving or will you want to relax more in the afternoon. I like and did the afternoon dives.
One more bit of info is tipping. Generally, tips are included in your package except for the dive crew. We did leave some extra at the end of the week for the resort staff though you don't have to. The did an excellent job. Especially the dining folks. They do have a "guideline" posted in the shop for tipping the dive crew. For six days of diving they suggest $100 per diver. I will tell you we did all 17 dives and I left $250 for the crew. ($125 from me and $125 from my wife) You can believe they earned every penny of it. They do an awesome job.
Hope this helps you in making your decisions.
In my opinion, I don't think it would be worth an extra $400 to upgrade to a "suite". Like I said, it pretty much gets you a mini fridge, a leather chair which we never sat in, and a dvd player we never used.
As far as lunch goes, I know they have a bar menu that gives you a lot of choices and so you could probably eat a little cheaper if you did that but I'm not sure it would be all that much cheaper. At $114 per person for the buffet and if you were to get 7 lunches out of it, that's a little over $16 for lunch. I would think that by the time you ordered an item from the bar with a drink and then leave a tip you'd spend close to that. But even if not, I think it would be worth the extra few dollars more to have several choices for lunch.
Don't know what to tell you about the afternoon dive. When we were there we had several folks that didn't do the afternoon dive because they just wanted to relax by the pool or in the hammocks on the beach even though the dive was already included in the package. If the price is $300 for both of you, that's 5 extra dives each so it would be $30 a dive. That's certainly not a bad price at all for the extra dives. You just need to decide if you will be diving on GC before you get to the Brac and will you still want more diving or will you want to relax more in the afternoon. I like and did the afternoon dives.
One more bit of info is tipping. Generally, tips are included in your package except for the dive crew. We did leave some extra at the end of the week for the resort staff though you don't have to. The did an excellent job. Especially the dining folks. They do have a "guideline" posted in the shop for tipping the dive crew. For six days of diving they suggest $100 per diver. I will tell you we did all 17 dives and I left $250 for the crew. ($125 from me and $125 from my wife) You can believe they earned every penny of it. They do an awesome job.
Hope this helps you in making your decisions.
Thanks so much for your fast response and all the great information! We will probably upgrade to the full meal plan and the afternoon dives but not the suite.
We do plan to do some diving on GC and we are trying to decide if we should put the money for the CB afternoon dives toward a car rental and spend the afternoons exploring the island. I know that CB is a small island, do you think it would be sufficient to rent a car just for a few days to enjoy the local culture and sights?
There have been occassions on other trips when we've paid for the maximum number of dives in advance and then couldn't use them because of weather or ear infection. You never know! But it sounds like adding lunch and the afternoon dives would be good moves.
If you don't get a suite with a mini-fridge, is it pretty easy for guests to get ice to use in their rooms? I have been to resorts where you have to pay plenty for a small glass of ice that is only available while the bar is open!
Good info about the tips! Thanks again, we are really looking forward to the trip!
We do plan to do some diving on GC and we are trying to decide if we should put the money for the CB afternoon dives toward a car rental and spend the afternoons exploring the island. I know that CB is a small island, do you think it would be sufficient to rent a car just for a few days to enjoy the local culture and sights?
There have been occassions on other trips when we've paid for the maximum number of dives in advance and then couldn't use them because of weather or ear infection. You never know! But it sounds like adding lunch and the afternoon dives would be good moves.
If you don't get a suite with a mini-fridge, is it pretty easy for guests to get ice to use in their rooms? I have been to resorts where you have to pay plenty for a small glass of ice that is only available while the bar is open!
Good info about the tips! Thanks again, we are really looking forward to the trip!
caymaniac
Contributor
If you are going for the car rental, a couple of days would be enough. Contact B&S car rental on line for the Brac. It's worth it to get to the top of the bluff and to step along the shore on the south side on the east end of the island (this is where you can find caymanite which is what they make jewelry from). There are also caves that you can visit on the south side too. The north shore (on the opposite side you are staying) is where the main town is. With a car you can easily drive close to where the Russian wreck is which is located about 100yds off shore.
The Public Beach, you'll most likely be the only person there.
An island house shaped like a football.
The trail on top of the bluff.
Just down the road from the Brac resort you can watch the sun go down over Little Cayman.
The Public Beach, you'll most likely be the only person there.
An island house shaped like a football.
The trail on top of the bluff.
Just down the road from the Brac resort you can watch the sun go down over Little Cayman.
OP
BDSC
Contributor
Great pics Caymaniac!
Honestly Kathy, I think you could pretty much see all the highlights of the island in one afternoon. Back in 2006 my wife and I got married on Little Cayman. We had to fly over to Cayman Brac to get the marriage license and we rented a car and I think in maybe 2 to 3 hours top we saw it all. Usually your last afternoon is free because you only do the morning dives so you could rent a car then and drive around.
I think you will be glad you are going with the lunch option and the diving. I know some folks in our group just wanted to relax and chill but I can do that at home. I can't dive the clear warm Caribbean waters from my house so I like to maximize my dive time when I'm on a trip.
Honestly Kathy, I think you could pretty much see all the highlights of the island in one afternoon. Back in 2006 my wife and I got married on Little Cayman. We had to fly over to Cayman Brac to get the marriage license and we rented a car and I think in maybe 2 to 3 hours top we saw it all. Usually your last afternoon is free because you only do the morning dives so you could rent a car then and drive around.
I think you will be glad you are going with the lunch option and the diving. I know some folks in our group just wanted to relax and chill but I can do that at home. I can't dive the clear warm Caribbean waters from my house so I like to maximize my dive time when I'm on a trip.
Thanks for the info and the beautiful pictures, October seems so far away!
Frank Storms
Contributor
My wife and I will be doing our first trip to Brac Reef Beach Resort Oct 1-8.
We tried for a suite, but no luck. Do they have ice/coolers available for the rooms,
and a place to buy beer/soft drinks for the room.
Thanks for the great trip report and other info.
Frank
We tried for a suite, but no luck. Do they have ice/coolers available for the rooms,
and a place to buy beer/soft drinks for the room.
Thanks for the great trip report and other info.
Frank
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