Little Cayman resort recommendations?
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ScubaBunga
Contributor
I've been to LC twice now (22years apart) and both times were with a dive shop and to LCBR. Both trips were excellent and I'll go again as soon as I can map a trip up with my availability and bank account. Resort is full service. Not much on the island itself, Hungry Iguana near the airport is nice - but as resort had a bar, the group only went there once. They have bikes and kayaks but I never used those - just diving, pool, food, and sleep (with hammock for naps)
Doctorfish
Contributor
Little Cayman Beach Resort, Southern Cross and Pirates Point are essentially the choices.
All are AI, Pirates offers one long dive per day ( I think )
LCBR and SC do 2 tanks AM and one in the afternoon. Night dives at additional cost if there are enough divers. SC is a little more upscale and apparently in recent times the boats are less crowded. They all dive the same sites at Bloody Bay and Jacksons Bight.
I find LCBR to be a good value for money choice. Book early as they fill up fast.
There are a number of reviews for LCBR and SC recently on this board. I don't recall seeing one for Pirates for a while.
All are AI, Pirates offers one long dive per day ( I think )
LCBR and SC do 2 tanks AM and one in the afternoon. Night dives at additional cost if there are enough divers. SC is a little more upscale and apparently in recent times the boats are less crowded. They all dive the same sites at Bloody Bay and Jacksons Bight.
I find LCBR to be a good value for money choice. Book early as they fill up fast.
There are a number of reviews for LCBR and SC recently on this board. I don't recall seeing one for Pirates for a while.
Id say LCBR. Nice Newtons, great system, good food, good bar, great diving.... Although I actually prefer the Freedom From Schedule that Bonaire offers, LCBR meets the true definition of "EASY". All your gear other than personal and photo equip basically lives on the boat the entire stay... Just analyze and mark your tanks at the tank farm by the dive shop and they will be on the boat at your station for your dives...
Everything is there so no need to go anywhere other than maybe the mile bicycle ride to the store. We did rent mopeds once for 1/2 a day on pre departure deco day and that was fun.... True definition of dive, eat, dive, sleep, dive, read, dive, drink , dive....in that order.
PS..... Don't get a room right next to the Beach Nuts bar unless really terrible Karaoke into the night helps you sleep!
Everything is there so no need to go anywhere other than maybe the mile bicycle ride to the store. We did rent mopeds once for 1/2 a day on pre departure deco day and that was fun.... True definition of dive, eat, dive, sleep, dive, read, dive, drink , dive....in that order.
PS..... Don't get a room right next to the Beach Nuts bar unless really terrible Karaoke into the night helps you sleep!
AggieDiver
Contributor
As said above, as far as full service resorts, there are three choices. Little Cayman Beach Resort, Pirates Point, and Southern Cross Club. There is also Conch Club Condos, but they are more piecemeal with a dive operation operating from the same dock as LCBR and a sharing some resources, and I think you can get meal plan deals from them that include either LCBR or Hungry Iguana. Check with them to see what they are offering post-Covid if that interests you. All of the diving at LC from any operator is going to be moored diving on sites with little or no current. So having more divers on a boat isn't necessarily a big deal because the operators generally will let you go your own way under water and find your own way back to the boat, so you are not stuck diving with a big crowd.
As far as the three full service locations:
- LCBR is a my favorite place in the Caribbean to dive. As was said above, it is just easy. The dive shop and dock are on site, and a few steps from the pool, bar, and restaurant. They run 42 and 46 foot Newtons and while they will go as high as 20 divers on the 46' boats, my experience is that they typically have more like 12-14 divers, which is not as crowded as you would think given the size of the boat and the style of diving. The food is plentiful and good, served buffet style, and the desserts are to die for. You set up your gear once on the boat the first time, and they do it the rest of the week and handle all changeovers and rinses on the BCs and Regs at the end of the day. You take your wetsuit mask, fins, and any other personal gear and rinse/hang it in a drying room at the top of the dock. On the boat, when you reach the dive site, they draw out the site on a whiteboard, give you an idea of what you might see or where you might want to look. Then you go to the back of the boat with your mask and fins, they bring your gear, and you stand up and stride off the back. At the end of the dive, you climb the ladder, sit down, they grab your BC off of you, and swap tanks for you. They call it Valet diving, and I love it. Some hate having others handle their gear, and they are more than willing to work out a compromise with you if you are one of them.
- Southern Cross Club sells themselves as a more upscale resort than LCBR, fewer but larger and more well appointed rooms, fewer divers on a smaller boat, smaller dining room with food ordered off a menu, etc. They run 2 36' SeaHawk boats and advertise no more than 12-14, but reviewers here have said that 6-8 is more common. From what I understand, their dive operations are similar to LCBR, but they may give a little more freedom on dive times depending on who you talk to.
- Pirate's Point has the reputation of a "Foodie's" resort. The founder was a professionally trained chef and they have several very good chefs on staff there since she has passed. I have not eaten there, but from what I understand the food is served family style, so you may have fewer choices and more company, but it is said to be outstanding food and I have never heard any complaints about the food. They used to only do 2 dives per day and did not have a dock at the resort, so you have to ride a few minutes down the beach to the dock they use. That may have changed in the last 3 years, but I have not heard anything if it has. Their rooms are probably the least luxurious of the three resorts from what I understand, but they are next to an iguana sanctuary, so probably have the best wildlife on site.
I don't really think you can go wrong with any of the three, and it just depends on what you are looking for out of your vacation. There is a small spa at LCBR where you can get a massage or typical spa services. The bar at LCBR is kind of the locals hangout particularly on trivia night (used to be wednesdays) and Karaoke night (usually friday night) and you will see staff from all three resorts and from the CCMI research station on LC all there on those nights. Otherwise, all three are great to get away from the world, dive, sleep, eat, lay in a hammock, wash, rinse, and repeat.
The only caveat I will give about the island, is that it is not a great place for non-divers who are not either easily entertained or content to lay around in the sun and not do too much. There is no shopping to speak of and only a few small topside attractions that are not always open every day. Also, keep in mind that late summer and fall is the cheapest time to go there, with LCBR running fall specials, but SCC and PP are typically closed for the month of september and maybe a few weeks either side of it. And while LCBR will say that their package deals run Sat-Sat, you can get them to alter that if you can show them that there is not availability on the Cayman Air flights to get over to LC on the Saturday you want to come. That is a common occurrence particularly if you are coming into GC on a later flight, and they will offer the same package price on friday to friday or sunday to sunday usually if that is the case.
As far as the three full service locations:
- LCBR is a my favorite place in the Caribbean to dive. As was said above, it is just easy. The dive shop and dock are on site, and a few steps from the pool, bar, and restaurant. They run 42 and 46 foot Newtons and while they will go as high as 20 divers on the 46' boats, my experience is that they typically have more like 12-14 divers, which is not as crowded as you would think given the size of the boat and the style of diving. The food is plentiful and good, served buffet style, and the desserts are to die for. You set up your gear once on the boat the first time, and they do it the rest of the week and handle all changeovers and rinses on the BCs and Regs at the end of the day. You take your wetsuit mask, fins, and any other personal gear and rinse/hang it in a drying room at the top of the dock. On the boat, when you reach the dive site, they draw out the site on a whiteboard, give you an idea of what you might see or where you might want to look. Then you go to the back of the boat with your mask and fins, they bring your gear, and you stand up and stride off the back. At the end of the dive, you climb the ladder, sit down, they grab your BC off of you, and swap tanks for you. They call it Valet diving, and I love it. Some hate having others handle their gear, and they are more than willing to work out a compromise with you if you are one of them.
- Southern Cross Club sells themselves as a more upscale resort than LCBR, fewer but larger and more well appointed rooms, fewer divers on a smaller boat, smaller dining room with food ordered off a menu, etc. They run 2 36' SeaHawk boats and advertise no more than 12-14, but reviewers here have said that 6-8 is more common. From what I understand, their dive operations are similar to LCBR, but they may give a little more freedom on dive times depending on who you talk to.
- Pirate's Point has the reputation of a "Foodie's" resort. The founder was a professionally trained chef and they have several very good chefs on staff there since she has passed. I have not eaten there, but from what I understand the food is served family style, so you may have fewer choices and more company, but it is said to be outstanding food and I have never heard any complaints about the food. They used to only do 2 dives per day and did not have a dock at the resort, so you have to ride a few minutes down the beach to the dock they use. That may have changed in the last 3 years, but I have not heard anything if it has. Their rooms are probably the least luxurious of the three resorts from what I understand, but they are next to an iguana sanctuary, so probably have the best wildlife on site.
I don't really think you can go wrong with any of the three, and it just depends on what you are looking for out of your vacation. There is a small spa at LCBR where you can get a massage or typical spa services. The bar at LCBR is kind of the locals hangout particularly on trivia night (used to be wednesdays) and Karaoke night (usually friday night) and you will see staff from all three resorts and from the CCMI research station on LC all there on those nights. Otherwise, all three are great to get away from the world, dive, sleep, eat, lay in a hammock, wash, rinse, and repeat.
The only caveat I will give about the island, is that it is not a great place for non-divers who are not either easily entertained or content to lay around in the sun and not do too much. There is no shopping to speak of and only a few small topside attractions that are not always open every day. Also, keep in mind that late summer and fall is the cheapest time to go there, with LCBR running fall specials, but SCC and PP are typically closed for the month of september and maybe a few weeks either side of it. And while LCBR will say that their package deals run Sat-Sat, you can get them to alter that if you can show them that there is not availability on the Cayman Air flights to get over to LC on the Saturday you want to come. That is a common occurrence particularly if you are coming into GC on a later flight, and they will offer the same package price on friday to friday or sunday to sunday usually if that is the case.
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