Trip Report Grand Cayman Trip Summary with Pics!

[JustinLoos1985]

Hey guys here is a summary of my recent Grand Cayman trip (Jan 12 2019 - Jan 19 2019)

January 12 Saturday (arrived)

-Immigration and customs took forever, line so long that it wrapped outside.

-Stayed at the Marriott on 7-mile beach, very nice but huge waste of money in my opinion.

January 13 Sunday

-My girlfriend did her open water certification 0730-1130 with Living the Dream Divers (LTD). I highly recommend diving with LTD they were extremely knowledgable, helpful, and fun!

-I did a my AOW completing Deep and Navigation

-lunch: Chicken! Chicken! Caribbean wood roasted (very tasty!)

-That evening I did my first shore night dive in the north right be the Cracked Conch. I saw 2 octopus and 2 spotted eel, both were on the prowl.

-dinner 8:00pm The cracked conch (Amazing food)

January 14 Monday

-My girlfriend did her open water, dives 3 & 4, 0730-1130 LTD

-I continued my AOW by completing Peak Performance Buoyancy and Fish ID

-dinner 7pm at Casanova (One of the best restaurants on the island)

January 15 Tuesday

• breakfast - Lauren’s (great food)
• Seven mile beach relax - snorkeled reef ball project
• Lunch - Jessie’s juice bar
• Afternoon dive 12:30 2 reef dive (LTD)
• dinner 5:30 Bacaro (really good)

Diving was very fun, some great deep dives, weather was amazing, no surge, no waves, no current. It was a very pleasant experience.

January 16 Wednesday

- road bikes to Boggy Sand Caribbean kitchen in the north. Then snorkel of boggy sand road.
-walked back north lunch Heritage kitchen
-dinner Casa 43 (Best Mexican joint on the island!)

January 17th Thursday

• Car rental 7am-7am Andy’s rent car
• Explore the south and east-side of the island
• snorkel Spotts Beach (saw tons of turtles and a family of cuttle fish)
• Lunch Rankins jerk pit (awesome food)
• Then drive to Blowholes, then colliers beach.
• Then to the crystal caves (behind lame)
• dinner 6pm The lobster pot (amazing meal)
• 

January 18th Friday

-breakfast vivo

-10 a.m. sting ray city and Great Barrier Reef and Coral Gardens with captain Marvin’s (way to tourist, I highly discourage doing this).

-7pm Cayman Cookout present by celebrity chef Eric Ripert which was beyond amazing!

January 19th Saturday
Departed

 

[drrich2]

Nice review, good photos and use of them to break up the text in an entertaining way, aiding the story. Minor detail:

a family of cuttle fish

In the Caribbean, we have squid and octopi, but not cuttlefish. You probably saw reef squid.

-Stayed at the Marriott on 7-mile beach, very nice but huge waste of money in my opinion.

Where would you stay if you went back?

Got any more scuba trips planned?

Richard.

 

[mi000ke]

Nice write-up. You hit a lot of the best restaurants on the island, and agree LTD is a great dive op (I did my AOW with them as well). Glad you had a good time. Next time look into renting a condo, or try Sunshine Suites - lower cost and you can use the Westin beach facilities. Also try a shore dive from Lighthouse point where VIVO and DiveTech (another great dive op) are located, or Turtle Reef at Macabuca/Cracked Conch.

 

[JustinLoos1985]

Nice review, good photos and use of them to break up the text in an entertaining way, aiding the story. Minor detail:



In the Caribbean, we have squid and octopi, but not cuttlefish. You probably saw reef squid.



Where would you stay if you went back?

Got any more scuba trips planned?

Richard.

I'd prolly stay somewhere off 7-mile beach, there is no point to pay that much when I'm never in the room.

My next trip planned is in April, heading to Cozumel.

I thought this was a cuttlefish? This is the video I took.

 

[JustinLoos1985]

Nice write-up. You hit a lot of the best restaurants on the island, and agree LTD is a great dive op (I did my AOW with them as well). Glad you had a good time. Next time look into renting a condo, or try Sunshine Suites - lower cost and you can use the Westin beach facilities. Also try a shore dive from Lighthouse point where VIVO and DiveTech (another great dive op) are located, or Turtle Reef at Macabuca/Cracked Conch.

Thank you, thanks for the future housing recommendations, they sound like there more of what I'm looking for.

 

[drrich2]

Squid.

 

[KathyV]

I'd prolly stay somewhere off 7-mile beach, there is no point to pay that much when I'm never in the room.... View attachment 501018

Nice report! What was the beach like at the Marriott? I have heard that it has almost disappeared.

 

[flyboy08]

Nice report! What was the beach like at the Marriott? I have heard that it has almost disappeared.

Based off of the first picture, you can just make out ONE beach chair....looks gone to me!

 

[Redfoot]

Awesome report, thanks for sharing. My fiancee is a non-diver, so this trip would be very similar to what we would do (sans her diving)

That's so cool you got to me Ripert, he seems like such a down to earth, nice guy. Always liked seeing him on Bourdain's show, you could tell they were really good friends. I felt for him after Bourdain's death.

Glad you got good weather and enjoyed!

 

[JustinLoos1985]

Nice report! What was the beach like at the Marriott? I have heard that it has almost disappeared.

There was zero beach at the Marriott. The water was basically up to the Marriott deck. Another reason why I would avoid staying there.