go to Cobalt Coast for first time or LCBR again?

[KathyV]

Thanks everyone. We have decided to try Cobalt Coast. One reason is we can fly direct from BWI to GCM and won't have to worry about transferring to LCM and missing our flight back to BWI like we previously did. Are there any rental car companies that will deliver a rental to the resort?

If you want a car for the week you can make a reservation and pick it up at the airport, sometimes you get a better rate if you reserve for a full week.

Transfers to/from the resort are provided so if you only want a car for a few days, I think that the resort can make the arrangements and have the car dropped off (or they will pick you up.) At least that is how it has worked for us at LCBR and CBBR, but I don't know if it works the same on GC. We always get the rental car at the airport on GC.

But I think you should reach out to Clearly Cayman and/or the car rental agencies and ask about it soon. You will be traveling during the peak season so you should get a car reserved in advance and not wait until you are on the island. It's a busy time.

 

[Damselfish]

I don't think it's a problem to either get a car delivered, or they may come pick you up and take you back to the office to do paperwork and you get it there. Think we did it that way once. As Kathy says do compare daily vs weekly rates.

 

[KathyV]

Our rental apartment on Grand Cayman comes with a rental car reservation so I haven't comparison shopped recently but a lot of people seem to like Andy's Car Rental, see link below. They are a local company and we have never used them - and I think that you may not always get a new car - but their cars, service, and pricing seem to be a popular option. Just another place to consider when you are comparison shopping.

Grand Cayman Car Rental, Car Rentals & Car Hire Grand Cayman

Cobalt Coast is on west bay and north of 7MB and north of places like Lighthouse Point and Macabuca. It's up near "Hell" if you are familiar with that area. It's not far but it is "off the beaten path" so you might want to download Google maps for GC before you leave the US. Or at least get directions or consider bringing a Garmin and a car charger with you if you have one available. It's not as easy to find as Sunset House but there's not much traffic up near CCGCR.

 

[KathyV]

Just a suggestion but the next time you are thinking of doing an "Eat, Sleep, Dive" trip to Cayman you might consider a week on the Cayman Aggressor liveaboard.

You fly in and out of GCM, no need to fly to the Sister Islands. It's a "turnkey vacation' like the Clearly Cayman resorts with everything included. You get to do a lot of diving and if the weather cooperates you will dive some of the best sites off of all 3 islands.

They are probably already booked up for Spring Break and I don't see any specials being offered for Cayman in the near future, but they do offer specials periodically during the year - so it might be worth considering in the future.

 

[scubadada]

I had a perfectly good trip on the Cayman Aggressor V Cayman Aggressor V, November 24-December 1, 2018

However, in general, I would advise folks to do the Cayman Islands by land. It would have been profoundly disappointing if we had not made the crossing to do Little Cayman and Cayman Brac. As it was, we needed to leave Little Cayman a little early due to deteriorating conditions. The boat is not nimble, is not able to access all sites, often stays at a site for multiple dives, leading to less variety, and does not dive any sites not readily available from land. I would not want to spend a week diving off Grand Cayman on the Aggressor, but it happens, check the Aggressor Captain's Logs, particularly for the winter.

If I wasn't already very familiar with the best of the diving off all three islands, I probably wouldn't feel as strongly. If I had never been there, it could be a nice, easy sampler of the Caymans

 

[Scoooter961]

Thanks @KathyV I will and @scubadada I kinda agree about doing it by land. I do want to do a liveaboard but I personally would rather do cayman by land. Do you all know anything about the buses? I can't figure out how close it comes to cobalt coast, if we decided against renting a car.

 

[KathyV]

Thanks @KathyV I will and @scubadada I kinda agree about doing it by land. I do want to do a liveaboard but I personally would rather do cayman by land. Do you all know anything about the buses? I can't figure out how close it comes to cobalt coast, if we decided against renting a car.

I have never used the public bus system on GC but I have seen them around. My understanding is that they are clean, inexpensive and air-conditioned, but that the run more frequently and reliably in the George Town and Seven Mile Beach areas. I believe that you will need Cayman money for the bus but I don't know if you need exact change.

The link below is some information about the bus system. The bus definitely runs in the area but I don't know how close it comes to CCGCR.

If I were staying at CCGCR and wanted to explore I would rent a car or take a tour bus (the tour buses do go to Hell). I think that if you were staying in Central Seven Mile Beach you could get by without a car, but not in the other areas of the island.

Grand Cayman Island Bus - George Town, bodden Town, Seven Mile Beach Buses

 

[Damselfish]

Not that close. I hear you might be able to get them to divert on drop off for a fee, but you've got a longish walk for pickup at least.

(I've never seen the buses on any tropical island be the best use of vacation time, even seemingly nicer and more efficient ones.)

 

[caydiver]

Buses are not really a great option and rental cars are actually fairly reasonable here. You will be happy to have the convenience of it. When we used to come as visitors we spent the biggest part of our 2 weeks on a dive boat, but would get a rental for at least the last few days and were happy to have done so. That said we always stayed smack in the middle of SMB so had plenty of great restaurants in walking distance as well as a great grocery store. That will not be the case where you are staying. I’d rent the car

 

[Doctorfish]

I agree. Rental cars are one of the few bargains on GC and Cobalt is in the middle of nowhere.