Trip Report Trip report: Grand Cayman and Little Cayman

[KathyV]

I think I remember reading that LCBR and CBBR will begin offering a 3 tank dive excursion to their neighboring island, with lunch at the opposite resort - starting in 2019 - but they may be waiting for the construction at LCBR to be completed.

I'm sure that weather conditions will always be a factor in whether or not they make the trip, and also guest interest in the outing.

@Jake what is the status of the remodeling at LCBR, are guests still eating in a temporary dining room?

 

[Jake]

I think I remember reading that LCBR and CBBR will begin offering a 3 tank dive excursion to their neighboring island, with lunch at the opposite resort - starting in 2019 - but they may be waiting for the construction at LCBR to be completed.

I'm sure that weather conditions will always be a factor in whether or not they make the trip, and also guest interest in the outing.

@Jake what is the status of the remodeling at LCBR, are guests still eating in a temporary dining room?

Yes, we were in the temporary dining room but it looked like the construction up front was coming along quickly.

We were supposed to have eaten at CBBR on our trip to the Tibbetts but because the wind was high they decided to just head back. It's too bad we couldn't just do a double dive on it.

 

[KathyV]

Yes, we were in the temporary dining room but it looked like the construction up front was coming along quickly.

We were supposed to have eaten at CBBR on our trip to the Tibbetts but because the wind was high they decided to just head back. It's too bad we couldn't just do a double dive on it.

There's a nice little reef quite near the Tibbetts, so if you are not much into wrecks you can still have a good dive.

 

[KathyV]

When we first dived the Tibbetts it was more intact and had less sea life, but it has been interesting to see over the years how it "...doth suffer a sea-change into something rich and strange".

 

[drrich2]

The flight to and from Little Cayman is in a tiny little plane that seats about 15 people. It's a short, pleasant ride. On the way back they were over their weight limit for luggage so they had to leave one of our bags behind and send it on the 4 p.m. flight. This wasn't too big of a deal since we were staying on GC for the next week

Well done practical, detailed compare & contrast profiles of 2 of the top 3 Caymans providers I'd consider if planning a solo dive trip there, based on reputation as I've perceived it on Scuba Board. My Caymans diving consisted of 2 G.C. dives on a cruise ship stop, then years later 25 dives from the Cayman Aggressor IV, so I haven't had to deal with that 'tiny little plane' with their weight limit.

Which raises a question. If someone plans a typical 7-day dive vacation to Little Cayman Beach Resort (or Little Cayman 'any provider'), with the usual plan to fly back to Grand Cayman, allowing a 2+ hour layover before catching a flight (I'm guessing usually not a Cayman Airways flight?) to the U.S., but your bag is delayed till a later flight...what happens to it?

Say you fly Southwest from G.C. to the U.S., and C.A. delivered your bag too late to make it. Will your bag somehow get on a later SW flight to the U.S., get through Customs and reach you at home?

Is this a common problem?

Richard.

 

[Jake]

Which raises a question. If someone plans a typical 7-day dive vacation to Little Cayman Beach Resort (or Little Cayman 'any provider'), with the usual plan to fly back to Grand Cayman, allowing a 2+ hour layover before catching a flight (I'm guessing usually not a Cayman Airways flight?) to the U.S., but your bag is delayed till a later flight...what happens to it?

Say you fly Southwest from G.C. to the U.S., and C.A. delivered your bag too late to make it. Will your bag somehow get on a later SW flight to the U.S., get through Customs and reach you at home?

Is this a common problem?

Richard.

I wondered about this too. We were chosen as the "victims" because they knew we were staying the extra week, but it must happen where that's not the case. I have to assume there's some sort of system for dealing with that, although I would imagine the baggage wouldn't end up on your flight home given the gaps in the service between islands. Probably they negotiate a way home for it and it shows up on your door a day or two later.

 

[Jake]

It's not the best video ever made, but I put together a highlight reel of sorts if anyone is interested.

Trying again, this time with Vimeo. Hopefully it's better.

 

[KathyV]

Well done practical, detailed compare & contrast profiles of 2 of the top 3 Caymans providers I'd consider if planning a solo dive trip there, based on reputation as I've perceived it on Scuba Board. My Caymans diving consisted of 2 G.C. dives on a cruise ship stop, then years later 25 dives from the Cayman Aggressor IV, so I haven't had to deal with that 'tiny little plane' with their weight limit.

Which raises a question. If someone plans a typical 7-day dive vacation to Little Cayman Beach Resort (or Little Cayman 'any provider'), with the usual plan to fly back to Grand Cayman, allowing a 2+ hour layover before catching a flight (I'm guessing usually not a Cayman Airways flight?) to the U.S., but your bag is delayed till a later flight...what happens to it?

Say you fly Southwest from G.C. to the U.S., and C.A. delivered your bag too late to make it. Will your bag somehow get on a later SW flight to the U.S., get through Customs and reach you at home?

Is this a common problem?

Richard.

When visiting the Cayman sister islands you used to have the option to pack a bag the day before you are scheduled to leave, and have it sent over on the last plane of the day to GC, so that it would be waiting for you at GCM. We've taken advantage of this offer in the past and it has worked well, and I think it increases the chances of having all your bags make it back home with you.

But when we were just on Brac in November, they were no longer offering this service so I don't know if it is still available on LC? But Brac is different from LC, they have more flights with bigger planes, so maybe it was viewed as unnecessary?

 

[flyboy08]

Nice videos, thanks. What was going on with the diver and nurse shark?

 

[Jake]

Nice videos, thanks. What was going on with the diver and nurse shark?

The carton thing is where he kept the lion fish he killed. The nurse shark would investigate it from time to time.