Honeymoon trip

[KathyV]

...If it were my Honeymoon I'd consider the Marriott Grand or the Westin. Both nice properties mid Seven Mile Beach, Any boat dive operation you choose will pick you up by van daily - most keep their boats in marinas directly behind SMB on the sound which gives easy access to the North Wall/ NW Point areas for many of the better dives, Red Sail Watersports has locations at both resorts and will sometimes beach a boat there to dive the sites too far off SMB to swim to. But there's alot of good dive operators to choose from also - RSW handles some cruise dives so may not be ideal for you. www.cita.ky for the complete list...

I think we'd rather focus on diving over the other things I mentioned. Would you still suggest Turtlenest if that's the case? Where would be a good place to stay closer to better dive sites with shorter boat rides?

I agree that a resort hotel on GC would be a great choice for a honeymoon and with the most options for excursions, restaurants, and activities - but it wouldn't surprise me if they were already completely booked for the New Year's timeframe. If they do still have availability the prices will be astronomical that week - and eating out most meals will also be very expensive. Of the Marriott and Westin that you mentioned, I prefer the Westin, it has the much nicer, wider beach, the Marriott's beach is small and gets crowded quickly. If I were paying those prices I'd want a big beach!

Since the OP later posted that they've decided to make the honeymoon more dive-focused (see above) I still think that a week at a small AI on one of the sister islands would be a good choice. It would be dive-focused and in a beautiful and relaxing setting. It would be less expensive and less crowded and you would have a better chance of finding availability over the New Year; and there is great Caribbean diving off of all 3 Cayman islands.

My choice would be the Cayman Brac Beach Resort - but LCBR and SCC would also be great options.

 

[KathyV]

@Jake I see that you are in California, have you considered Hawaii for a romantic, dive vacation honeymoon destination? The water will be colder than Cayman but you are more likely to see big animals. Hawaii will also be crowded and very expensive over the New Year but there are more islands and more options, and it should be pretty easy to get there from LAX. We loved the Big Island and the night dive with Mantas.

I have a specific reason for suggesting both Cayman and Hawaii as destinations for Honeymooners, but I may be completely off the mark - because I don't know anything about your demographics or your plans for the future. I don't mean to be presumptuous but when I hear "Honeymoon" I immediately tend to think of "young Newlyweds that may be starting a family soon" and since both Cayman and Hawaii are NOT on the Zika Virus watch list that makes them "safer" destinations for a young, married couple IMO.

 

[scubadada]

You fly there in a small plane from the main island or I think they also offer flights to Brac directly out of Miami.

This is Cayman Air, you still have to go through Grand Cayman on the way home

 

[howswedeofme]

We have done the New Years timeframe on GC but rented a townhouse in the West Bay, which was much more cost effective than a hotel. We also don't like AI, so we vacation a little differently. It looks like there is availability for your week at Sunshine Suites, which is a property we like to visit for dining, but the rooms are $400+ a night (not AI). Sunshine Suites is right in the middle of all the hubbub of SMB so very easy access to the beach, restaurants, excursions. Cobalt Coast is in an area we like because it is quieter but still easy access by either car or bus to restaurants and the public beach at the north end of SMB. Lots of people also like Turtles Nest as you can see on the thread, which is also in a little quieter area and a little farther from a lot of the SMB/West Bay dive op departures. Depending on what types of top side activities you want to do, Cayman Brac might be a good option as others have mentioned, but its more hiking and bird watching as opposed to true excursions. CB has easier access to shore diving than I'm told LC does. I haven't been to either sister island yet - our first CB trip is this spring. There are wreck dive options on all islands.

 

[Jake]

@Jake I see that you are in California, have you considered Hawaii for a romantic, dive vacation honeymoon destination? The water will be colder than Cayman but you are more likely to see big animals. Hawaii will also be crowded and very expensive over the New Year but there are more islands and more options, and it should be pretty easy to get there from LAX. We loved the Big Island and the night dive with Mantas.

I have a specific reason for suggesting both Cayman and Hawaii as destinations for Honeymooners, but I may be completely off the mark - because I don't know anything about your demographics or your plans for the future. I don't mean to be intrusive but when I hear "Honeymoon" I immediately tend to think of "young Newlyweds that may be starting a family soon" and since both Cayman and Hawaii are NOT on the Zika Virus watch list that makes them "safer" destinations for a young, married couple IMO.

I had totally forgotten about Zika. Thanks for reminding me!

Hawaii is a good choice that we're looking at too. We're a little flexible on the departure date, so we may skip going over New Years and wait a few days until the prices drop. I noticed that there were way more options on GC just a few days after the 1st, so we may do that.

 

[Dish]

Also, if you don't mind me asking, why do you prefer the east end?

Jake,
If we stay for two+ weeks, we plan to be less dive-intensive and stay at TNI. We don't mind driving for a dive. If we are only going for a week, we are maximizing the dive days, so we stay at Compass Point on the East End and dive every day with Ocean Frontiers. Valet service, so your gear is on the boat every morning waiting for you. They have a nice "stay and dive" package that we have taken advantage of several times... in fact, staying there again in less than two months. Either place works for us since its more laid back than the West End.. which is why we're on vacation, after all.

Edit: Plus, we really enjoy the dive sites on the East End and North side, which is an easy trip from Compass Point.

 

[Doctorfish]

Honeymoon trip. I'd splurge, stay on the West Side 7 Mile Beach area in a resort hotel like the Ritz or Seafire Kimpton,, enjoy the amenities as well as the diving on the North and West. 7MB is a magnificent sand beach area with dozens of nearby restaurants and shopping. The diving on the East is arguably better but it's isolated and far from the big name restaurants and other tourist attractions. If you want the combination of quiet, privacy and great diving, my choice would be Southern Cross Club or Little Cayman Beach Resort on Little Cayman.

 

[KathyV]

Honeymoon trip. I'd splurge, stay on the West Side 7 Mile Beach area in a resort hotel like the Ritz or Seafire Kimpton,, enjoy the amenities as well as the diving on the North and West. 7MB is a magnificent sand beach area with dozens of nearby restaurants and shopping. The diving on the East is arguably better but it's isolated and far from the big name restaurants and other tourist attractions...

That's a lovely idea and if they can afford it then they should go for it, but out of curiosity I checked rates at the Grand Cayman Ritz for the New Years dates that the OP suggested and their cheapest rate in a Resort View Room (across the street from the beach via a bridge) was $2450 per night; plus a $75/day resort fee - and that doesn't include the 13% government tax, and there is a probably a service charge added, too.

I also tried a few different dates in January and they were all sold out, but earlier in December you could get a resort view room for $1002 per night plus the $75 per day resort fee.

The Seafire Kimpton is not on the central section of 7MB so rates are a little cheaper. The lowest rate for a 1-bed room over the New Year was $1378 per night plus a $60 daily resort fee and taxes and charges; but later in January you could get a room for $743 per night plus $60, a real bargain!

Even the economy lodgings at the Sunshine Suites are $450 per night for their cheapest suite across the street from the beach during January, plus a daily resort fee, and 13% tax, and service charges.

When I hear the term "Newlywed Honeymoon" my first thoughts are that they are probably "young, broke, and saving to make a down payment on a home!" because that was true for us when we were first married - but of course, that may not be the case at all for the OP and his intended.

For our honeymoon, we piled into our old, secondhand car and drove from Chicago to Florida and we sure didn't stay at the Ritz! We did manage one night in a gorgeous, expensive hotel. It was the best we could afford and it was a wonderful and memorable trip and the start of a great life together. And it was the first time in my life that I ever saw the ocean - and I actually got to swim in it, too! (Well, splash around in it anyway; I had to take an "Adult Learn to Swim" class before learning to dive.)

OP, I am sure that your honeymoon will be a wonderful experience wherever you decide to go and stay.

 

[Doctorfish]

Point taken re costs but the OP did not set price constraints initially. If on a budget, IMO Little Cayman Beach Resort and Brac Beach Resort, while not cheap, give a lot of bang for the buck.

 

[Jake]

OP, I am sure that your honeymoon will be a wonderful experience wherever you decide to go and stay.

After reading through everything and contacting various resorts, I think we're leaning towards a week on Little Cayman and then a week at Compass Point on the east end. Both look to have great diving operations and accommodations without destroying the budget.

On that note though, I have a question: it looks like the drive from Compass to the city is 35-45 minutes. If we did want to pop over and do some city stuff, is that an accurate drive time? We're mostly looking to dive and relax so I don't think it would be an every day thing.