Grand Cayman - running trip report

[trevorr77]

Wow great reports so far. We were out there in February and though the weather was windy and cool it was GREAT. We loved it out there at Morritt's. I think the staff is great and I love the three different pools they have...they are all made for different personalities it seems. The beach is very nice and there are some nice scuba and diving spots right nearby. I haven't stayed at the Reef yet but it looked nice when I stopped by. By the way, if anyone is looking to stay at Morritts for a week I have a week for 2010 available for a poolside 1 BR unit. We went on two big vacations this year (Grand Cayman and Europe) so we are taking 2010 off to save up again!!

You can email me at trevorr77@msn.com or message me on here if you are interested.

 

[scubadada]

I don't know of any dive op that leaves someone on board except the Agresser.

My son and I did a week at Cobalt Coast with DiveTech in both 2007 and 2008, they always had someone on the boat. I've also dived with several small operations over the years, there was generally nobody left on the boat.

Good diving, Craig

 

[txteachers]

The conditions were finally calm enough for us to do Babylon (Ocean Frontiers said to watch the winds - when they're out of the S or SE it is a good time to dive there). This dive is out here on the East End. We rented tanks from Ocean Frontiers...very friendly folks.

Babylon is 5 miles from Morritts. There are 3 little paths/roads/trails on the oceanside of the road. The 3rd one is across from Rosebud St., we took the 2nd one. The 2nd and 3rd paths you can park your car where you can see it from the water...a lot of the shoreline looks the same, so it makes an easy landmark.

We geared up at the car and walked down to the beach...it's a very few steps. We walked out, if you have been diving in Kauai or even some of Bonaire entries - this is really easy. Just a few steps over the ironshore and into turtle grass. It is a long snorkle out to the mooring ball - but the seas were pretty flat so it was an easy swim.

Once at the mooring ball - I did my compass reading and we descended into breath-taking beauty! There is a beautiful short swim-thru, the corals are magnificent. We descended to 100' and then slowly started back up...not knowing how long it would take us to get back we started back when one of us reached 1500#...which now we know was a little conservative.

Fish - 2 Nassau groupers greeted us at the beginning, and then in the swim-thru there were Blackcap Basslets, at the top of the reef I spotted a Scorpionfish, there were a couple huge lobsters. Not a lot of fish on this dive.

We are planning on doing this again - the swim is well worth it!!

 

[jchapman3]

We don't get back to Morritts until the end of September this year; we've got a bonus week though, and you've got me ITCHING to book a flight right now.

Have you dove Sunset yet? Found the mermaid? There are some AWSOME photo ops there. (You where "there" when you found Cathy's place).

Next time you are in the clubhouse, tell Beverly at the front desk that John and Chris (from Maine) said hello, and will be seeing her this Fall. When you're at the swim up bar or pier bar, if Alan is working, pass the same hello's on and tell him you want a Slippery Banana (and then follow that with a Cayman Lemonaide)...i expect a full report on both!

The next time you are in Georgetown (today should be good...no cruise ships on Thurs & Friday if I remember right)... stop in at Hammerheads and snag a bite to eat (the grass roof outdoor bar on "the other side" of where the tourists drop off). Last year, there was a big Canadian with a last name of "Chapman" working there, tell him the "JagerBomb Chapman from last Sept says hello." On your way out, walk to the fish market there on the beach and pick up fresh snapper for dinner. (If you serve that over rice you cook in coconut, onions and peppers, people will think you're a local). Yhum.

Time to jump to Orbitz... hmmm....

 

[CheddarChick]

What a great report on the fly!! Love it. I have long looked for spots for shore diving as easy a Curacao, now you have made me think GC is on "the list". How did you find where you were staying? And tell your hubby "great pix" Is Cathy still using the SP350 as the house camera?

 

[jchapman3]

Love the pictures, thank you SO much for sharing your daily dive reports. After looking through the pictures, I've decided my 2009 Cayman goal is to see an Octopus; you guys seem to have pretty good luck. Any tips on regions/what to look for? Is the time of day/night important?

 

[txteachers]

Love the pictures, thank you SO much for sharing your daily dive reports. After looking through the pictures, I've decided my 2009 Cayman goal is to see an Octopus; you guys seem to have pretty good luck. Any tips on regions/what to look for? Is the time of day/night important?

You're supposed to see octopus at night...but we're seeing them during the day. Almost every dive at Cobalt Coast we see one...and one of the dive instructors there said she has been here 4 years and is amazed at how many there are this year. She tells us there is one that has set up residence at the Cobalt Coast pier, 4th pylon in!

Where we've found them is on our way back in, over the sandy flats...in the holes behind rocks!

To CheddarChick...we have a time share - so that's how we booked with Morritts...but if you can come in Aug - October, Ocean Frontiers has a great deal! I found a super deal at The Reef by going to Cayman Islands - Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, Travel and Tourism Site and getting on a mailing list!

And sorry Jchapman3...we've left the Morritts...but will keep in mind your SUPER suggestions!!!

 

[txteachers]

Last report...the end of our 20 days is here! :depressed:

Our last week here we have been at The Reef. Absolutely beautiful place...all the rooms have an incredible ocean view. Being at the furthest building away from the reception area it was extremely quiet. We had a studio on the first floor. The first floor patio door opens up to a small porch, a large sidewalk and then the beach. Absolutely WONDERFUL!

If you're planning on cooking - do NOT get a studio unit. It has a small fridge - (from floor to countertop), a microwave, toaster and coffee pot. Dishes - just place settings - nothing else, no grilling utensils. There are a couple of grills...they are the portable kind on wheels - so you can move it to in front on your unit - quite handy!!

GROCERIES - Foster's has small store across from The Reef - same prices as in town.

FOOD - there is a bakery across the street from The Reef. They are open from 7a.m. - 2 p.m. We just ate a few pastries - quite tasty - but a little expensive - $2CI for a danish. The breakfast menu prices - $4.50 CI for eggs and toast.

SUNSHINE RESORT - the very best hamburger! My husband is a burger snob ... it was HUGE and very tasty!! The waiter encouraged us to split one! Which we did and were glad! They serve french fries and then some scrumptious onion rings on top! Perfect for us - I love the rings, he loves the fries! Then a bite of ice cream for dessert!

RACKAM'S PUB - close to the port in Georgetown. We had Shrimp 'n Chips and Fish 'n Chips. Excellent choice. 2 dinners, one mixed drink $45 US. Outdoor dining...view is okay...but you're at the port...so we watched folks waiting for the tenders to take them back to the ships.

My favorite food item has been the salad dressing at Cracked Conch - it's mango/lime!!

SOUTH COAST BAR & GRILL - on the way to the East End, very close to the Lighthouse restaurant. For Cayman - reasonably priced...we had Conch Stew - yummy but spicy and Tiger Shrimp w/rice and beans. Food was very good - we sat outside overlooking the ocean...wonderful!

DIVING...again we chose to stay East and dive West. We were hoping to dive Babylon again...but the conditions weren't what we wanted (flat sea). It is a long swim out...but well worth the trip!

We dove - Sunset House, Lighthouse - DiveTech's new location (my husband's favorite), Devil's Grotto - do when there is not a cruise ship in town, Cobalt Coast and Cracked Conch (next door to turtle farm), 2 boat dives with Ambassador Divers, and 2 boat dives with DiveTech.

We love the folks at DiveTech...friendly, helpful and fun. At Cobalt Coast these last 2 weeks they have put on Sea Camps. If you have children...what an incredible experience! The children (10 - teens) were put into groups based on interest and ability. WOW - what a cool program!!! Yesterday we were out there...they had taken the kids to Turtle Farm, then brought them back to Cobalt. They brought a turtle back (@1 1/2 yrs old) did a short teaching moment - for kids and adults, explained what was going to happen in the turtle release. Anyone who wanted in the water could be in the water - they took the turtle down...go everyone in the water to be calm... and they released the turtle. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE!!! It was awesome - for the kids AND the adults!

Okay - back to diving. We went out on their large boat...we had 14 divers - but plenty of space. We dove Eagle Ray Pass and Hepp's Pipeline. They gave very indepth and illustrated dive briefings (Lee gave the 1st, Christian the 2nd). We chose to follow the DM...they asked that when you reached 1500 psi to let the DM know - we headed back, but then when we got back to the mooring line we could explore on our own, they did ask that for the first dive we limit it to 60 minutes, the 2nd dive there was no time limit...but back in the boat with 500 psi. They leave someone in the boat in case of emergency. They had a DM in front of the group and one hung in back. Someone was always watching...but there was plenty of space - never felt hurried or herded.

Eagle Ray Pass...how beautiful and yes, we did see 2 Eagle Rays, 2 turtles - one was sitting on top of a rock/coral and just watched us all for quite awhile and then took off, the other was just swimming through.

Hepp's Pipeline...very close to shore...but a beautiful dive!

If we had our trip to do over again...I would have stayed at Sunshine Resorts for our third week. As I may have mentioned on my first post we stayed in a time share - not ours, but traded through RCI...so the only place we could get into was Morritts Tortuga. For the 3rd week we got a GREAT DEAL with The Reef.

RENT CAR - we rented from Andy's - best price, great service. I think I already mentioned we had a flat and they came and exchanged cars with us. They encourage you to fill up with them any time you need to fill your car because they are cheaper than any of the gas stations - fill up either at the airport of 7 mile beach location.

We know we will be back...and hopefully we won't wait seven years this time!

Thanks for reading...and my husband has continued to add pictures:

Picasa Web Albums - kj_mlsmith - Grand Cayman

 

[CheddarChick]

Such a great report...Thanks so much for posting, I would love it if you could put togther a short list of appox costs it would be great....And tell the hubby person his pix are great....

 

[txteachers]

Such a great report...Thanks so much for posting, I would love it if you could put togther a short list of appox costs it would be great....And tell the hubby person his pix are great....

I've started and I'll try to get that posted in the next few days...but, I think we're having a new grandbaby today!!! Maybe tomorrow!! YEAH he waited 'til we got home!!!