United moved our flight up and hour so we have 4 1/2 hrs to hang in GCM before our flight on to Brac...
@KathyV mentioned going to GCYC to get out of the airport for a bite to eat or drink. Does that amount of time sound feasible? No way I am going to drag bags along so I assume Cayman Air will allow us to check bags in early? (saturday afternoon). Otherwise how horrific is the temp HH setup?
Thanks!
Very doable to go to the
GT Yacht Club. And certainly much preferable to hanging around the airport. I think they are still offering a
free shuttle for the very short ride to the yacht club.
The temporary Hungry Horse is pretty bad. It is a big tent with open sides. Hot and buggy. Go to the Yacht Club, even if you have to drag your bags with you.The Yacht Club does have a free shuttle every 15 minutes.
You will have plenty of time to get to the GTYC with that long layover because it is only a 3 minute drive from the airport. The Cayman Air ticket counter opens early on Saturdays and Sundays and it stays open - so you should be able to check your bags in - and if you do have to drag some bags then they will stash them for you at the GTYC.
When you walk outside the terminal after checking in at Cayman Air look for a gray van with the logo for the GTYC. It's usually nearest the door for Cayman Air. Sometimes the driver leaves the van and goes into terminal to see if anyone needs a ride, but the bellhops outside can help you identify the driver - or just stand by the van so that she will see you.
During our recent trip to GC and LC we went to the GTYC two times during layovers (on our ways to and from LC) and the driver was a very nice Caymanian woman named Christine. You could even try phoning the GTYC a few days before you travel to let them know of your interest and your flights and I am sure that they will advise you and try to accommodate you.
When she picks you up, tell her what time you want to go back to the airport and she will be waiting for you at the restaurant when you are ready to leave.
When you first arrive on GC, it will take you some time to be processed through customs and immigration, but after you get through and have checked-in for Brac, and have had a bite at the GTYC - and are ready to head back to the airport, go through security as normal. Then just show your boarding pass at the exiting immigration desk and tell them that you are doing interisland travel to CB and they will waive you through.
Later, when you come back from Brac, don't let them jam you into the immigration and customs line with all the new arrivals. Go to the counters for returning citizens or residents and tell them that you are just returned from Brac and they should waive you through to the luggage lounge to get your bags. Then go outside, turn left, go back inside to the ticket counters, and check in for your flight home.
If you have a decent interval before you are ready to depart for home, you can then head outside, catch the van, and go over to the GTYC for a nice respite before the long trip home.
Saturdays are busy days at the airport, but it usually takes about a half-hour to get through security and departing immigration and customs. Of course, the situation may vary and so don't cut it too close; but once you do the GTYC detour during layover you will see how easy and quick it is - and nice! We had a much shorter interval than you during our recent trip and we still had plenty of time to detour to the yacht club.
They open early at the GTYC on Saturdays and Sundays and serve breakfast until 11 am. When we came back from LC recently, we had already enjoyed an early breakfast at the LCBR so when we got to the yacht club around 10:30 we were really looking for a light lunch - because it would be late afternoon before we arrived in Chicago.
We asked the server and she asked the kitchen and they were very gracious about making lunch meals for us instead of breakfast. We love their cracked conch appetizer portion, it is large enough for a light lunch and delicious. The same people that own Macabuca and the Cracked Conch on Grand Cayman also own the George Town Yacht Club restaurant - but I think that the cracked conch at the GTYC is the best on the island. I always ask for it with their delicious tartar sauce but you can get the spicy sauce - or both, if you wish!
The Hungry Horse was never much of a venue even when it was inside the airport and now it is just a tent in the parking lot! And there is nothing but a hot dog stand in the departure lounge; so if you can get to the GTYC during your interval it is much, much nicer. You can enjoy good food and drinks in a lovely setting overlooking the marina - either indoor or outdoor. If you are traveling with children, they also have a nice pool that the kids enjoy. We think of it as a chance to grab a little more vacation time!
There are 2 yacht clubs on Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands Yacht Club is further away, so you want the George Town Yacht Club at the Barcadere Marina, near the airport.
Have a great trip!
