Generic Little Cayman Beach Resort

[PartyStar]

Not being a person who runs in large groups or drinks much, I will share my trip experience at Little Cayman Beach Resort. Traveled with one other diver and we tried making polite small talk with some of the others in the large groups and were treated as if we had the plague. One lady was out of her group herd for a minute at the bar and was so much nicer and actually gave us a minute of conversation. An older lady was there alone and people were not very nice to her; she was alone most of the time. The ocean front room was amazing and the other rooms all have the wall AC units which are loud. Very loud. Everyone loved the food except me because I do not eat much pork. Mai mai was served once and over a period of a week I loved one dinner. Breakfast was fine. Lunch was a generic turkey sandwich everyday on stale bread. The desserts kept me fed. Claudia the hostess was a wonderful happy presence. The dive masters were a little sassy. The cats and iguanas were nicer.
Maid service was spectacular. We went to the free rum punch happy hour to drink juice - no rum - and listened to advertisements on the spa, gift shop and other upsales. Our package included two drinks a day and it appeared we were the few who tipped with each drink and the bar keep under-poured and were not appreciative of our generosity. The pool and grounds were immaculate and I wish I would have instead tipped the smiling men who maintained those areas. The dive boats were like a cattle boat and they “valet” divers so we do not step all over each other. I spent over five grand plus airfare and unlike many others who return every year, we will not return as it is a great big world with other places to dive. The air gave me a headache every time and it quickly became boring underwater. Return divers looking for their past art works in the bar found it “blown away” as they only keep the professional looking art up. Money makes the world go around and I do not feel as if I got my five thousand dollars worth. Mainly the generic food and over-priced and under-poured cocktails. Awful wine! They could upgrade the menu and charge extra for people like me who want a surf and turf - filet and lobster tail - but I can guess this entity would make that generic and cheap like all of their food. My wish is that Four Seasons / Ritz Carlton would open a joint on Little Cayman for people who like good food / wine, no cattle boats and no sheeple discounts. Sheep belong on farms! All the reviews had me thinking we were going to a classy resort and towels, suits hanging over balconies confirmed to me that this was not upscale enough for my preference. Additionally, people were in the dining room in their bath suits and no shoes. Don't hate me because I have high standards when spending so much money!

 

[BettyfromToronto]

Thanks for the honest trip report PartyStar. My husband were planning on going to LCBR in May 2013 but when we tried to book in September 2012; the price advertised on their website was "sold out" and they wanted $2500/person. We felt that was too steep since we still had to add about another $700 for airfare. We ended up at Cobalt Coast for $2150/person plus airfare.

We are only 2 people and would never travel in a group. As much as we love Scuba Club Cozumel for just $899/person for pretty much the same thing....the one thing we do hate about SCC are the groups. They take over the place and think they own everything. And maybe I am wrong but I'm sure we paid the same amount or probably more so I don't think they are special. Last year they started to stock pile the tanks in their lockers for the shore dives so there were none for anyone else....and forget about doing a shore dive at any time. With 24 of them; they were diving at 5am before the 8am boat dives and then again 2-3x in the afternoon plus at night. There was no room for anyone else.

Now that I have read your report I won't even try booking LCBR again. I agree that there are many other places in the world to dive. We might stop doing the 4 dive trips a year once we retire next year in Cozumel but we will try other places.

Thanks again for your report
Betty

 

[crux0724]

Thanks for the honest trip report PartyStar. My husband were planning on going to LCBR in May 2013 but when we tried to book in September 2012; the price advertised on their website was "sold out" and they wanted $2500/person. We felt that was too steep since we still had to add about another $700 for airfare. We ended up at Cobalt Coast for $2150/person plus airfare.

We are only 2 people and would never travel in a group. As much as we love Scuba Club Cozumel for just $899/person for pretty much the same thing....the one thing we do hate about SCC are the groups. They take over the place and think they own everything. And maybe I am wrong but I'm sure we paid the same amount or probably more so I don't think they are special. Last year they started to stock pile the tanks in their lockers for the shore dives so there were none for anyone else....and forget about doing a shore dive at any time. With 24 of them; they were diving at 5am before the 8am boat dives and then again 2-3x in the afternoon plus at night. There was no room for anyone else.

Now that I have read your report I won't even try booking LCBR again. I agree that there are many other places in the world to dive. We might stop doing the 4 dive trips a year once we retire next year in Cozumel but we will try other places.

Thanks again for your report
Betty

Betty,

I wouldn't base my decision to go or not to go to LCBR on one person's opinion. My wife and I got back from LCBR in May and it was fantastic. We had 1 day that had 18ish divers and that was less than appealing but every other day had less than 10-12 on the boat. I guess it all depends on your perspective but it really seems like the OP was just looking for things to be upset about. The sense of entitlement because people didn't seem to appreciate a tip is ridiculous. We got along great with multiple guests while we were there, it was a great atmosphere. My only complaint was at times everybody was in their room by 8-9pm! As for the "professional" looking art, I saw some terrible art work that was not "blown away"....The food is average, there were a couple of fantastic meals but I didn't go there for the food. Now, the price point is steep but there are other options to make your stay on Little Cayman significantly cheaper. My family will be going back to Little Cayman in 2014 but probably won't stay at LCBR due to only having 2-3 out of 6 people diving.

YMMV!

 

[tkaelin]

What did you find boring about the diving and what were some of the sites you dove? Just curious. Never heard that description of the diving on Little Cayman and Bloody Bay Wall.

 

[Damselfish]

That sounds like a different LCBR than I have stayed at many times, it seems the OP somehow had inaccurate expectations of the place. Is it the world's best food, diving, rooms, bar, etc? No. But they do a consistently good job of everything, especially considering the somewhat remote location, and that's why it's so popular with many return guests. It's a dive resort and all things considered a very nice one, but not remotely the Ritz or 4 Seasons. Not sure what would lead anyone to think otherwise - certainly not their website or the sum total of the reviews I have seen.

As far as groups or others being unfriendly, I have not experienced that there, or really anyplace for that matter. As a general rule I've found divers at dive resorts to be a friendly bunch. But in any event it would hardly be the resorts fault.

Everyone loved the food except me because I do not eat much pork

They've always seemed to have a decent variety. I haven't observed them serving nothing but pork, actually don't recall that much pork. It certainly wouldn't be the only choice at a meal, and I'd be surprised if it were served at every meal. (I'm a bit of a foodie, but I know when it's appropriate to be more or less fussy. And I wouldn't consider surf and turf the height of fine dining - pretty boring actually.)

Lunch was a generic turkey sandwich everyday

Well, they typically have a platter of unexciting cold cuts and bread out at lunch if you want that or don't like anything else on the buffet. But if you eat a turkey sandwich everyday it's by choice, not because that's what's for lunch.

The air gave me a headache every time.

That's actually a pretty big accusation. Did you talk to them about this? Did anyone else have a problem? Including the DMs breathing the same air? I've never heard of a problem like that there. Not that it couldn't happen anywhere, but they have always seemed very fussy about anything safety related, something like that there would surprise me. Any chance you were breathing in a way to retain CO2?

and it quickly became boring underwater.

it's not the Pacific, but if you are quickly bored here I suspect you are bored in most of the Caribbean.

Return divers looking for their past art works in the bar found it “blown away” as they only keep the professional looking art up.

Stuff sometimes does get blown away. Or washed away. For all I know they need to rotate some stuff out, there's only so much room. But I haven't seen any "professional looking" art up to begin with.

what the heck is "mai mai"? You mean mahi mahi?

 

[Doctorfish]

My experience at LCBR has been positive overall and I am a multiple repeat customer. The food is pretty average and there did seem to be a lot of pork on the menu this year. I don't eat pork or beef but there was always something else on the menu and between the fish and poultry, there was always a reasonable choice for me at dinner. The BBQ night was outstanding and included brisket and chicken for those who are not rib eaters. My wife thought the ribs were great. The lunches in my opinion are quite good with a variety of choices. I recall jerk chicken one day, chinese food another and hot dogs chicken fingers and fries another still. There was always a generous selection of salads at lunch and dinner as well. I only had a turkey sandwich once and it was by choice. The chef is very accommodating and will make up something for you if you do not want or cannot eat whatever is on the main menu. I am not a pastry fan so the chef made up a fruit plate for me for desert when requested.

At the bar, we found that Grace, the bartender was a delight and she usually overpoured rather than underpoured. The house wine selection was tolerable but not great, and if you want something better, it is available by the glass or bottle. Many people seemed to tip at the end of the week rather than by the drink. The diving crowd at LCBR in my experience has always been friendly and not cliquish. What comes around, goes around. My wife and I were invited to come and dine with several different groups, and at the bar, most folks were friendly. Easy to make friends on the dive boat.

The dive boats do tend to have 15-18 divers aboard but they are 42 and 46 foot Newtons so there is lots of room to move around. I never felt crowded on board. Once in the water there is a lot of ocean to dive in and I never felt crowded or pressured. The DMs were happy to let my buddy and I head in the opposite direction to the group if current allowed. If "valet service" means having your BC and tank brought to you at the dive platform, I'm not sure what there is to complain about. In May, the fish life was quite good and the corals and soft corals were very healthy. In my opinion, the best reefs in the Caribbean. Not sure why the air gave you a headache. That has never been my experience. I've inspected the compressor setup and it is a-one.

I've never had a bad week at LCBR. I guess it depends on your expectations. You need to remember it's a dive lodge on a small island with limited facilities, not the Ritz. I've stayed and dived at Cobalt Coast as well and there is no comparison. The diving at LCBR and Reef Divers have Divetech beat hands down.

Sorry you had a bad experience. It's not by accident that LCBR has so many repeat guests despite all the other choices in the Carribean.

 

[scubadada]

Hi PartyStar,

So, LCBR is not for you, glad my son and I had a much better time during our visit in July 2010. We had an oceanfront room, it was great. The food was quite good. I've been accused of being asocial, we made plenty of new friends on the boat, in the dining room, and at the bar. I've even kept in contact with one of my LCBR friends. We can fly direct to Grand Cayman, the trip is relatively easy and not so expensive for us

Wow, then there were the dives, all 18 of them. The dives on Bloody Bay Wall were amongst the best in the Caribbean. The 2 nights dives were fabulous. The least impressive dive of the week was the trip to Cayman Brac for the Keith Tibbitts, it was really quite good. My son and I did not dive with the DM or the group, often taking off early or heading in the opposite direction. We generally saw nobody on our dives until we got back to the boat and most dives were 60-70 minutes. this is diving at its best.

I'd love to get back to Little Cayman and LCBR, it's my kind of place. For you, I would suggest the Ritz Carlton on Grand Cayman, sounds like your kind of place, and the diving is not half bad either. Many, many good operators on Grand Cayman.

Good diving, Craig

 

[drrich2]

Quite a few compliments in the original report, along with the negatives, which gives the impression of a thoughtful critique, not just a mud slinging attack. Good. A few of the later comments, though, sound, well, maybe 'entitled' is the nicest way I could put it? Assuming I'm 'reading' it right.

To start with,

My wish is that Four Seasons / Ritz Carlton would open a joint on Little Cayman for people who like good food / wine, no cattle boats and no sheeple discounts. Sheep belong on farms!

The scuba diving 'industry' isn't huge to begin with, and the fraction of the diving tourist base that could seek out the Four Seasons / Ritz Carlton I suspect is very small indeed. If there were a market for that in Little Cayman, perhaps there would be one. Be interesting to see if it ever happens.

Just because the food & wine weren't to your tastes doesn't mean they weren't 'good' to some.

You sound like somebody expecting the Ritz who checked into Holiday Inn. There was a thread active in the not too distant past where someone was asking about 'luxury' resort accommodations and diving on a trip to some range of places considered, and it sounded like the pickings were somewhat slim.

All the reviews had me thinking we were going to a classy resort and towels, suits hanging over balconies confirmed to me that this was not upscale enough for my preference.

I wonder how many dive resorts are upscale enough for your preference. If the sight of a wet suit drying on a balcony offends you, it's hard to imagine you being happy at a dive resort.

But the most concerning thing about your post is the 'sheeple' comment. Just what are 'sheeple?' People less than yourself? Who 'belong on farms?'

I hope I misread your post. Apologies in advance if I somehow imagined the tone of it.

Richard.

 

[vincent54]

Little Cayman Beach Resort is a fantastic place to stay. Food and supplies are difficult to consistently obtain and they do a superb job of utilizing what they get. The charm of the island is the informal, laid back atmosphere. Monte Carlo it is not. Boring is a subjective thing, some people are never satisfied. I have yet to have a bad, boring dive in any of the Caymans. Then again, I get excited about Michigan diving.

I always hang gear out, including my designer swimsuit, to dry anywhere there is airflow. The balcony seems to be the best place .


Safe diving

 

[BettyfromToronto]

Now that everyone else has chimed in....I'd like to add further my comments. I am not interested in luxury as my favourite place is SCC which is a dedicated dive resort. Not fancy but clean and friendly staff. But $2500/person vs $899 is a big difference and I guess I do expect more for almost 3x the price. I think the food at SCC is great but it was even better at Cobalt Coast. Amazing actually but I kind of expected that for the price difference.

As for the groups...we never were on the same boat as they had enough to fill one if not two of their own boats. It is on shore that it was the problem. They took over the entry/exit for the shore diving; not to mention the rinse tanks and area 24/7. But I guess this wouldn't be an issue as there is no shore diving at LCBR.

Maybe we will try it again but only if I can get the rate they advertised on their website. I guess that means booking almost a year in advance to the many satisfied and repeat customers.

Betty