Is It Possible to Dive Grand Cayman on a Budget?

[EastEndDiver]

I just got back last week .It was quiet with very few people on island.

 

[KathyV]

December is busy down there .

I am traveling to Hawaii on business in January!

 

[EastEndDiver]

Nothing wrong with that !!!!!!

 

[KathyV]

Richard, I found this (expired) special offer for selected dates on the Cobalt Coast facebook page and it says that the price includes "hotel taxes and fees" and I am truly confident that they consistently include taxes and service charges in the package price at CC just like the other Tibbetts resorts, but of course you should confirm that. This offer mentions "a meal plan" and I am guessing that it is MAP but that you could upgrade to FAP (and probably also add the drinks package) for an additional cost(s).


"Stay 7 nights for only $1,395. In addition to your stay, this dive and resort deal includes 12 boat dives + unlimited shore diving with our unique valet diving service, a meal plan, round-trip airport ground transfers and more!

*Must mention this offer to receive discount. Hotel taxes & fees included. Rate is capacity controlled. Rate reflects double occupancy, standard room. Valid for travel between 11/19/16 - 11/26/16 and 12/10/16 - 12/24/16. Must call to claim offer by 9/2/16."

 

[KathyV]

Another factor to consider regarding a lower cost dive trip to Cayman is "are you willing to stay around the resort and not venture out much to sample all the restaurants, shopping, activities, and night life available on GC?" Because they are fun but expensive. That might be easier to do if you were at the remotely located dive resort without a car and with a group of friends.

It would be easier to focus on diving and relaxing in the sister islands of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac because there are not many places to spend money outside the resort on those islands - and the boat diving is even better. There is shore diving available on both sister islands but no house reefs at the resorts, so renting a car would be necessary if you want to do much shore diving. There is also an extra $110 US cost to fly round trip from Grand Cayman to Brac or Little.

 

[tkaelin]

I have been to GC many times. As with almost all travel, there are ways to economize and reduce costs.

Tip #1 - Staying in a condo with a kitchen is a big cost saver especially when combined with bringing down in your luggage as much food as you can. We did a trip a few years back with 4 other families staying at Discovery Point and flying with Cayman Air. Cayman Air fare includes two checked bags and each family took advantage of it by bringing steaks, chicken, bacon, cold cuts, cheeses, coffee, cereal, breads etc. You get the idea. Limiting eating out is a big cost saver and gets bigger if you do not have to do all your shopping on island.

Tip #2 - Airfare. Shop around for airfare. GC has very competitive airfares which tends to take the edge off some of the higher on island costs. I almost always get fares $350 or less. This summer I paid $260 r/t, nonstop on Cayman Air (which includes two check in bags, hot meals and a cocktail).

Tip #3 - Car rentals. The only thing I have found that is reasonably priced and cheaper than some other islands. Dare I say a bargain. Two divers for a week for an economy car will pay less than say Bon.

Tip #4 - Eating out. Try more lunches out and less dinners. The savings adds up big time, especially if you don't drink at lunch but would at dinner (or less at lunch than dinner)

Tip #5 - Shore diving. Probably the biggest saver there is. For example 4 divers at turtle reef doing two tanks and lunch, Maybe $180.00. 4 divers doing a two tank boat and no lunch, maybe $550 with tip. You get the idea.

GC and diving are not cheap but with some planning you can reduce the costs.

 

[KathyV]

I have been to GC many times. As with almost all travel, there are ways to economize and reduce costs...GC and diving are not cheap but with some planning you can reduce the costs.

You've described our typical GC vacation quite accurately, and we often use a similar approach on other islands like Bonaire.

We usually travel during the low season because it is cheaper and less crowded and we like to celebrate our anniversary (but there is an increased risk of storms) and we do try to get the best deal on airfare. We also use a credit card that doesn't have any foreign transaction fees and that earns rewards miles.

When we are on Grand Cayman we stay in a 1 bedroom apartment with a full kitchen at Turtle Nest Inn in Bodden Town because there is only 2 of us and we don't really need a condo, although the TNI condos are right next door if we wanted a condo.

TNI is in the center of the island and about 10 to 12 miles from the Seven Mile Beach and Georgetown so we have pretty easy access to most areas but we are away from the higher-priced, more developed areas of West Bay and 7MB. TNI is a pretty, clean, family-owned property, not luxurious but quite nice. A rental car comes with the apartment and we use it to tour, dive, snorkel, and have fun all around the island.

TNI sits on the water on a lovely beach, it's not the Seven Mile Beach but still beautiful and there is good snorkeling right outside the door. We mostly snorkel and shore dive on GC because it is cheap, easy, and good - but the best diving is on the walls and so we usually do a day or two of boat diving also.

We also bring some food with us but Cayman Air (with its 2 free checked bags) only flies from Chicago during the high season, so we are usually stuck taking American Air or another airline. Having to pay to check the bag just negates the value of the food products so we don't bring too much.

We usually cook 2 meals a day and go out for one meal (either lunch or dinner) or order a pizza. I don't go on vacation to spend a lot of time cooking but it is not hard to make breakfast or a sandwich. There are a lot of good grocery stores and restaurants on GC so it is easy to find items to match your preferences. We considered staying at the all-inclusive Cobalt Coast on GC for our upcoming trip but we decided we prefer our usual venue.

When we are on the sister islands of Little Cayman or Cayman Brac we prefer an all-inclusive that covers lodgings, food, and diving, and we only rent a car for one day to tour the island. The food is buffet style but very good and there are not many restaurants or grocery stores on the island so we don't cook our meals. We don't like the big mega-resorts but LCBR and CBBR are small, diver-dedicated resorts and that suits us just fine, and during the low season you can get great prices on an all-inclusive dive trip! And they offer free valet dive services and we like that a lot!

So like you, I agree that Cayman is not cheap, but with some planning you can control the costs and there are some intrinsic values that we like a lot. The diving is very good and the boat rides are short. The islands are clean and safe and have good roads and good communication systems and excellent healthcare facilities. You can eat the food and drink the water without concern and although mosquitoes are ever-present, they have good abatement programs and low incidence of tropical diseases. English is the official language and the locals are friendly. There are a lot of things to do on GC and they don't all cost a lot of money, see the links below.

I am looking forward to heading back to Cayman!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g147365-c164561/Grand-Cayman:Caribbeanriving.Tour.A.Guide.html

http://danilew.biz/blog/2014/03/03/grand-cayman-paradise-found/

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cayman-islands/437891-topside.html#post6532430

http://snorkelblog.tumblr.com/

 

[tkaelin]

I have seen the posts about TNI and noted it last time we were down. If you book with TNI and do the two tank boat dives who do you dive with? Thanks. TK

 

[KathyV]

I have seen the posts about TNI and noted it last time we were down. If you book with TNI and do the two tank boat dives who do you dive with? Thanks. TK

You can dive with just about any operator on the island, but TNI refers most divers to DNS which is a very good op. Because you have a car you may be driving to the marina to catch the boat. EastEndDiver can give you more info about diving options when you stay at TNI.

Last year we dived with Cayman University Divers and they were great, we met them at the West Bay marina and they hauled all our gear onto the boat and gave us very personalized and professional dive experiences.

When we are on GC we mostly like to relax, take things easy, enjoy topside activities, and do some snorkeling from shore and shore diving. We usually also do a few boat dives if the weather is good but that's because we tend to spend the second week on Cayman Brac or Little Cayman and that week is primarily dedicated to diving.

The best GC diving is on the walls via boat diving. We love TNI but if I wanted to do a lot of diving on GC I would probably try to stay at a resort with an onsite dive op just because it is so easy and convenient. Compass Point on the East End is far from other island activities but it is very good diving and a great dive op and I believe that you can arrange to do 4 boat dives per day. I don't think that there is any shore diving in that area.

Sunset House is just south of Georgetown and they have an onsite dive op and a house reef with unlimited shore diving. It is a very popular resort but I have read that the house reef is getting a little beat up these days, I don't know that for myself. They offer breakfast with their packages but you are on your own for lunch and dinner and eating out is very pricey in Cayman.

Cobalt Coast is north of the Seven Mile Beach (up near Hell) and they are diver dedicated and have Reef Divers as the onsite dive op and they offer valet diving. They offer 2 boat dives per day and unlimited shore diving but I understand that you may get winded out sometimes in that location. The boats are able to dive either the North or the West sides but with shore diving you may run out of luck due to the winds. They offer both an all-inclusive option and they have a few cottages with kitchens so that you rent to do most of your own cooking. I have never eaten there so I don't know if the food is good or not, but the buffets at the other Tibbett resorts on CB and LC are very good.

DiveTech is the onsite dive op at LightHouse Point and at the Holiday Inn, and these are also located on the north end of the west side of the island. I don't have much experience with DiveTech but they area a long-established op with a very good reputation.

Some dive ops will pick you up at your hotel and I know that DiveTech will pick up folks staying as Sunshine Suites in West Bay across the street from the Marriott. That is said to be a very nice and more economical hotel for the Seven Mile Beach area and the suites have kitchens or cooking facilities. Comfort Suites is another lower price offering on 7MB, you get breakfast with your room and I believe the suites have a frig and a microwave. Many of the 7MB properties charge a daily resort fee so check out the costs carefully when you are researching a place to stay.

There are many fine dive ops on GC and you can arrange to dive with any of them. Just make sure that you will not be put on a boat with cruise ship divers on cruise days.

I have said this before, but if you really want to do a lot of diving in the Caymans, then the Aggressor liveaboard is the best option. You can dive the best sites off of all 3 islands and you can easily do 4 or 5 dives per day. But if the weather is bad then they won't make the crossing to LC and CB and you will be stuck on a boat in bad weather diving off the shore of Grand Cayman.

Have fun!

 

[Doctorfish]

If you stay anywhere near North West Point or West Bay, it's easy to get in 4 tanks per day. Our routine is a 2 tank boat dive with DNS in the AM north or west wall depending on conditions, lunch, and then afternoon shore and night dives at Turtle Reef/Sundivers.

Cobalt Coast seems to be offering pretty good packages these days.

Almost all of the west side dive ops will pick up and drop off anywhere along the Georgetown, SMB, West Bay corridor.