Tipping Question

[Doctorfish]

Reef Divers is a class act. You will certainly enjoy diving with them. They usually dive north wall if conditions allow. The house reef at Cobalt is quite nice but if you are already doing 3 tanks per day, then you might only be able to sneak in a few night dives. In the fall, the conditions should allow for diving from shore there. Long swim out but beautiful miniwall.
You should rent a car for your non diving day to see the rest of the island.

I tip $10 US per tank. The manager of the dive shop will make sure that it is distributed appropriately.

 

[jdcpa]

I was not aware that there was a duty free liquor area on Grand Cayman.

I thought the only duty free liquor on Grand Cayman was at the airport (not yet reopened) and the area for cruise passengers.

Am I wrong on this? Where would there be duty free for the stay over folks?

 

[KathyV]

I was not aware that there was a duty free liquor area on Grand Cayman.

I thought the only duty free liquor on Grand Cayman was at the airport (not yet reopened) and the area for cruise passengers.

Am I wrong on this? Where would there be duty free for the stay over folks?

We buy duty-free liquor in the last US airport that we visit before we leave the US and carry it into Cayman because alcohol is expensive in the Caymans.

See the link below for the Cayman Customs allowances for bringing items into the country duty-free. You could bring more if you wish but there will be a duty-fee, but it still might be cheaper than purchasing locally, I don't know - or perhaps if you prefer a brand that is difficult to find on Cayman.

The new GCM airport is in the final stages of completion and some shops have opened in the new departure lounge but I don't know if any new "duty-free" shops have opened yet. There were some "duty-free" shops in the old airport and you could purchase items (including liquor) to bring back to your home country, in compliance with the customs requirements of your country. We've never brought liquor back to the US because we can usually find what we like cheaper back home, but we've brought back rum cakes and other items that were under the US duty-free limits.

Bringing duty-free liquor into Cayman is easy as long as Grand Cayman is your final destination. It's gets a bit tricky if you are in-transit and continuing on to one of the Cayman sister islands of Brac and Little Cayman; or if you are connecting to another destination like Cuba or Roatan.

That's because you usually have to go through Customs and Immigration when you arrive on Grand Cayman. And that involves going through Immigration, claiming your bags, getting cleared by Customs, checking in for your next flight, rechecking your bags, and going through Security to access the Departure Lounge to leave Grand Cayman - and you can't carry liquids greater than 3 oz. - that won't fit into a quart zip-lock bag - through GCM Security.

So if you are immediately traveling on from GCM, you have to pack your duty-free liquor carefully into your checked luggage, before you recheck your bags and go through Cayman Airport Security.

This hasn't been a problem for us when making the short hop over to Little Cayman or Cayman Brac, but you can find re-usable bags for packing liquor bottles in your luggage on Amazon to make things safer.

I am not familiar with the cruise-ship terminal on GC but I imagine that they also sell duty-free items for visitors to take back home.

http://www.customs.gov.ky/portal/page/portal/cushome/restrictions/visitors/travelers

All passengers over the age of 18 years may also bring with them the following items

1. • Up to 1 liter of Potable Spirits
   • Or 4 liters of wine
   • Or 1 case of Beer (not exceeding 8 liters)

 

[KathyV]

...
Can you tell me if it’s better to stick with bottled water on Grand Cayman...or if the tap water is okay?? Thanks again for all the useful information.

You asked about the drinking water on Grand Cayman. It has a nice taste and it is safe and okay to drink. Some people prefer bottled water wherever they go, but you don't have to worry about food or water contamination in Cayman.

Cayman is a first world country and tourism is not it's only industry; it's is a major financial and banking center.

The roads are good and the healthcare systems are modern, mosquito-abatement is rigorously practiced so malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and zika are not issues of concern. There are modern grocery stores and the crime rates are low. The people are friendly and speak English - so what's not to like?

Cayman is expensive but since you are doing an Eat, Sleep, and Dive trip at the Cobalt Coast during the low season, most of your expenses are controlled and will be paid up front.

The Seven Mile Beach area is highly developed and that isn't always popular with people looking for a laid-back island vibe, but it does mean that there are excellent restaurants, shopping, and attractions available - which is nice for non-divers traveling with divers. George Town is a major cruise ship port and that is also not so popular with folks looking for a quiet getaway - but there are remote areas of the island that are much less developed (like the northern West Bay area where you will be staying) so people have the opportunity to enjoy the amenities and then slip away to the quiet side if they wish.

Seven mile beach is a beautiful world-class beach. It can get crowded in front of the big hotels, especially during the high season, and also at cruise passenger venues like the Public Beach and the Royal Palms. But there are a lot of condos and rental properties along 7MB that aren't crowded, but they aren't cheap either.

There can be heavy traffic on GC, especially around George Town and other highly populated areas during rush hours and when multiple cruise ships are in port. When we are planning any excursions to those areas we check the cruise ship schedule (link below) and try to avoid the rush hours.
https://www.caymanport.com/ship-schedules/

Cayman is a conservative country and that's not always people want when looking for a vacation destination. There are venues with music and drinks and pleasant places to gather and have fun but it's not really a "party town" atmosphere. There is no nude or topless sunbathing or swimming, no gambling, no live music on Sundays, and it used to be that stores could not sell liquor on Sundays, but that has eased up a bit in recent years.

Cayman offers very good Caribbean diving that is close to shore and there are many high-quality dive ops working on Grand Cayman. And if you want nice diving in a quiet, rural destination - check out the sister islands of Cayman Brac and Little Cayman - where there's not much to do but relax, eat, dive, and enjoy nature!

I hope that you have a great trip!

 

[Doctorfish]

Like KathyV said. The water is safe as is the food.
I generally prefer the taste of bottled water to what I assume is desalinated on the island, but the tap water is fine. We brush our teeth with it and make ice cubes without worry.

 

[mi000ke]

Can you tell me if it’s better to stick with bottled water on Grand Cayman...or if the tap water is okay?? Thanks again for all the useful information.

The tap water is all produced from a desalination plant on the island and is quite pure and drinkable. So's the locally produced Caybrew beer and Seven Fathoms rum

 

[mi000ke]

When we are in Cayman we usually tip extra because $1.00 US is only $0.83 Cayman.

That is generally correct, although $0.83 Cayman (actually 0.80) has the same buying power on the island as $US 1.00. They are essentially equivalent (the Cayman dollar is fixed to the US dollar at $US 1.00 = CI 1.25, and conversely CI 1.00 = $US 0.80). So if you normally tip $US 10.00 per tank, then you can tip $CI 8.00 per tank and it will be exactly the same value. So, I usually tip CI 16.00 (or 15.00 if I don't have any 1s) for a 2-tank dive, as that is equal to $US 20.00. And if you have only US currency, then just give them US$ 20.00, as many people do. And if you feel like tipping CI 20.00, then realize that that is the same as tipping $US 25.00 (which they may well deserve).

And remember, things on the island are not more expensive because of the exchange rate, they are more expensive because it costs a lot to ship everything in, plus the government imposes a duty on everything that is imported (which is just about everything on the island except the local fish), plus there is a fair amount of wealth on the island and companies can therefore get away with higher pricing. The reason a beer costs CI 8.00 (or $US 10.00) on Grand Cayman is because it's just an expensive place to live, just like a beer costs the same $10.00 (8.00 CI) in New York City because it, too, is an expensive place to live. When exchange rates are fixed (which is not true for most countries), then the value of the currencies are essentially equivalent. When they float (like the US vs Canada) then often one currency is valued more than the other and things do get more expensive for the weaker currency country, but usually these days the dollar is the strong currency, so things are actually cheaper for us when we travel anywhere other than places like Grand Cayman.

Sorry for the pedantic digression. I unfortunately did graduate work in applied economics, and just had to put in my 1.6 cents Cayman.

 

[KathyV]

That is generally correct, although $0.83 Cayman (actually 0.80) has the same buying power on the island as $US 1.00. They are essentially equivalent (the Cayman dollar is fixed to the US dollar at $US 1.00 = CI 1.25, and conversely CI 1.00 = $US 0.80). So if you normally tip $US 10.00 per tank, then you can tip $CI 8.00 per tank and it will be exactly the same value. So, I usually tip CI 16.00 (or 15.00 if I don't have any 1s) for a 2-tank dive, as that is equal to $US 20.00. And if you have only US currency, then just give them US$ 20.00, as many people do. And if you feel like tipping CI 20.00, then realize that that is the same as tipping $US 25.00 (which they may well deserve).

And remember, things on the island are not more expensive because of the exchange rate, they are more expensive because it costs a lot to ship everything in, plus the government imposes a duty on everything that is imported (which is just about everything on the island except the local fish), plus there is a fair amount of wealth on the island and companies can therefore get away with higher pricing. The reason a beer costs CI 8.00 (or $US 10.00) on Grand Cayman is because it's just an expensive place to live, just like a beer costs the same $10.00 (8.00 CI) in New York City because it, too, is an expensive place to live. When exchange rates are fixed (which is not true for most countries), then the value of the currencies are essentially equivalent. When they float (like the US vs Canada) then often one currency is valued more than the other and things do get more expensive for the weaker currency country, but usually these days the dollar is the strong currency, so things are actually cheaper for us when we travel anywhere other than places like Grand Cayman.

Sorry for the pedantic digression. I unfortunately did graduate work in applied economics, and just had to put in my 1.6 cents Cayman.

I know, it's been explained to me before, but it just feels more expensive when you get the bill in Cayman dollars, and then they list the totals even higher in US and Canadian dollars!

But sometimes you get what you pay for, and we like what we get in Cayman - a lot!

I've amended my post above, thanks!

 

[Damselfish]

They were tearing down the old lockers the day we left and putting up a drying shed for gear, which, if done, you will have access to for shore and night dives.

This was there last week.

 

[KathyV]

@cathycalg remember that your package price at CCGCR includes accommodations, meals, (drinks if you take the package), diving, airport transfers, taxes, and resort tips, but not the dive shop tips.

Also, that a 15% gratuity will automatically be added onto almost anything extra that you buy or charge at the resort. And of course you are free to give an extra tip to hotel, wait, and bar staff if you wish.

If you head out to do any exploring be aware that some places will automatically add a 15% gratuity and others will not. It's fine to add an extra tip for great service but just make sure that you understand what you are paying and whether or not a gratuity has already been included.

Your resort is not far from a tourist attraction called Hell (yes, you heard me correctly!) It is a popular spot but I've never been too impressed. The landscape is sharp, pointed rocks and long ago some wit exclaimed "this must be what Hell looks like!" and the name stuck.

It is mostly just a souvenir shop but they have a small post office, so if you take your postcards there to be mailed they will be stamped "Hell Grand Cayman" and you can send the folks back home "A postcard from Hell!" get it?!

If you decide to stop there remember that it is a popular spot with the cruise ship crowd and that it is most likely to be crowded (with busloads of cruisers!) between around 10 am to 2-3 pm on days when there are cruise ships in port.

On this map of West Bay (link below) you can see the CCGCR location and it's distance from Hell and the northern part of 7MB.

Hotels are labeled with an "H" and condos with a "C", points of interest are labeled by name, and restaurants have a pin stuck into them. If you hover over the pin then info about the specific restaurant will pop-up.
Map of West Bay Restaurants | Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands