Grand Cayman, sell it to me!

[drrich2]

@snowdog61, originally the trip was to go to Cozumel, but with mexico as a whole getting more and more questionable they abandoned it.

If you want Grand Cayman over Cozumel, fine, but if fear that Mexico's some sort of violent drug-ridden crime pit is what's making it 'more and more questionable,' I think that's a misconception worth clearing up. Sometimes it seems like Mexico gives Cozumel a bad name!

Cozumel is technically part of Mexico. In reality, it's an island heavily dependent on tourism for economic prosperity, including often several cruise ships/day dumping vast legions of tourists there in a given year. Cruise lines are willing to divert ships away from ports that get a rep. for violent crime dangerousness. The powers-that-be in Cozumel know this.

While no destination offers an iron-clad crime-proof guarantee, please don't be put off of Cozumel because you're afraid drug cartels are going to pop up in public & start shooting bystanders or lopping off heads with machetes or some such.

I've seen a few threads on Scuba Board over the years talking about potentially dangerous or seedy parts of some destinations, places you might not want to wander around after dark (look'n at you, Belize City), but if you review thread after thread on Cozumel, the regulars praise the food, diving, friendly people & safety. My only dives there were 2 on 1 of 3 cruise stops, so do some searching on the forum & get it 1st hand and you'll see for yourself.

Richard.

 

[scubadada]

@Crazybaldarcher

Nobody needs to sell you anything. The Caribbean and Florida has some really wonderful diving, many of the locations are complementary to others. Decide yourself what you want to experience. Over the years, I have been lucky enough to experience Grand Cayman, Little Cayman, Cayman Brac, Cozumel, Turks & Caicos, Bonaire, Curacao, Roatan, SE FL and the FL Keys. I still have many locations on my list such as Saba, Dominica, Beize...

Where do you dive now, locally? Any of these locations would blow your mind.

Good luck in your diving, Craig

 

[uncfnp]

Since @KathyV is busy diving Grand Cayman I will link her thread!

Is It Possible to Dive Grand Cayman on a Budget?

 

[FindingMenno]

As I'm working for a dive operator on-island and thus have a vested interest, I am somewhat sensitive in posting in these type of threads.
But let me say that for under 1,400 USD per person you would have a very spacious 2-bed condo with full kitchen facilities for you and your friends right on one of the best shore dive sites on the island, 6 days 2-tank of boat diving, unlimited shore diving, and a big supermarket 5 mins down the road.

Air fare wise, I do not know where you're coming from, but get lucky with a Southwest/Cayman Airways offer and you could get here for 120 USD return.

I can even show where you can get some local ribs and rice for 6 KYD on a seaside Seven Mile Beach terrace if you would like to eat out on a budget! ;-)

Of course your sunset beer budget is at your own discretion!

 

[EastEndDiver]

FiningMenno I can do better for about $1500 per week for all 4 including a car 2 bed rooms 2 1/2 baths full kitchen 2 pools free Wi-Fi 97 TV channels.Diving not included so they have a choice of dive ops and beach dives.

Grand Cayman Condos & Villas -- Island Vacation Rentals

 

[Crazybaldarcher]

@uncfnp thank you for linking the thread. I will make it a priority to review it.

@scubadada we haven't been on any dives locally beyond our certification dives in water with 3 (sometimes less) visibility. We just returned from a trip to the big island where all the coral looked dead or dying. It was all very brown. But we did get to dive with 3 resident tiger sharks, dolphins and an eagle ray which was amazing.

Richard (@drrich2) this is a good prospective on the whole Mexico issue. I will want to do more research before responding.

 

[BDSC]

After a long absence from diving Grand Cayman, we returned a couple of years ago and loved the diving. I guess I forgot just how good the diving can be there. We are going again with a group next August and staying at Cobalt Coast Resort. I picked August because that time of year is generally one of the calmest and your chance of shore diving is very good.

The deal we have is $1175 at Cobalt Coast and includes:

- 7 nights in a hotel style room (typical room)
- All meals
- 6 days of two tank diving plus an afternoon dive to the Kittywake
- unlimited shore diving
- transfers from the airport
- All taxes and service charges

Pretty much the only thing not included are tips for the dive crew and alcohol. It's an excellent deal and the reviews have consistently been good for that resort. Plus I know the folks that own it and they are top notch.

 

[mi000ke]

Plan to spend an additional $ 220.00 on a car rental - you are coerced to buy their insurance while on their island, as they dont take any American auto insurance ( State Farm, Progressive, etc.) They dont tell you any of this until you are there in their offices. Total bummer. I had always thought the insurance covered the driver. Not automatically. You can decline this $ 200.00 shakedown, but recognize you will have zero coverage while there.

They will also add $ 20.00 for a 'learners permit'. They drive on the left...but the steering column on the right...just like the UK I think.

There are cheap eats out there, but a bit harder to find. Try Heritage Kitchen ( West Bay).

Sounds like you nailed the budget pretty well.

Just a minor correction regarding auto rental. Most credit cards do cover you for collision damage (says the guy who had a collision covered by his credit card company last time I was on the island) so you can usually waive that coverage (but check with your card company first). What no credit card company covers is 3rd party liability - like if you run someone over or drive into their house. In my case we have an umbrella policy that covers us for all otherwise uninsured liability so we waive that as well. It's not really a scam other than it is way overpriced. You can possibly by 3rd party coverage elsewhere before you go or maybe from your own auto insurance company (like I did).

The permit is not actually a learners' permit, though to see how some people drive on the left it might as well be. It is actually a temporary license and is a government requirement - not anything to do with the rental companies directly - and just another way they get tax revenue.

The appeal of Grand Cayman for our family is that while I am the only diver, the rest wanted a place that was reasonably developed while having an excellent swimming beach. GC was the best compromise, but as you and many have said, it comes with a price. We spend a lot of time here, and the non-diving Boss needed to be able to shop for the foods she likes, eat at nice restaurants occasionally, live in a clean apartment, swim on a nice beach, travel here in a relatively short time, speak the language, see a movie once in a while, etc.....

I wanted to go to Dominica.

 

[FindingMenno]

FiningMenno I can do better for about $1500 per week for all 4 including a car 2 bed rooms 2 1/2 baths full kitchen 2 pools free Wi-Fi 97 TV channels.Diving not included so they have a choice of dive ops and beach dives.

Grand Cayman Condos & Villas -- Island Vacation Rentals

Great, the more choice the better! To be clear I am not trying to start a bidding war here ;-) , just putting some information out there so the OP can get a better idea of what they can get for their buck.

 

[EastEndDiver]

Yes there are many choices I was just putting info out there also so the OP can get a better idea of what is available.