Little Cayman Resort recommendation?

[gratefulmjc]

We're on the last GC-LC flight of the day...#4425 departs GC at 5:10pm (took the last flight of the day last year as well)...if we get lucky getting thru customs, etc., we have decent chance of switching to the second-to-last flight to LC (pending availability of course). The connection time for that flight was just a little tight for comfort given the Saturday afternoon zoo at the GC airport (while I've only been to LC once, I've been to GC three times).

The problem with last year's and this year's upcoming trip was United. Each trip, when we booked 6 months prior to departure, we were to fly directly from Dulles to GC arriving in the early afternoon giving us enough time to connect to a mid-afternoon GC-LC flight. Last year United changed the departure time getting us in 2 hours later which busted our mid-afternoon connection to LC. Our only option was the last GC-LC flight of the day but there was only one seat which I put my gal in and I got on the wait list. I kept my busted connection flight with the desperate (that means futile) hope United would make another schedule change to the earlier side and lastly booked a hotel on GC along with a GC-LC seat the next AM. Luckily I cleared the wait list, got refunds for the backup arrangements, and made it to LC without issue on the same flight as my gal. United did the same thing for our upcoming trip but instead of arriving on GC just a few hours later a la the 2022 trip, it was a 4 hour change so we couldn't even make the last GC-LC flight of the day. Our only practical option was to move from the direct Dulles-GC flight (with a comfortable mid-morning departure) to a 6am Dulles-Newark flight with a 2 hour layover connecting to a Newark-GC flight. Aarrghhh. Thanks for reading this far...I feel better now (but I shouldn't complain...I get to go diving at a gorgeous spot in the Caribbean).

 

[gratefulmjc]

We expect a trip report!

(Ahhh! So that's how quoting works...new here).

My pleasure...it's the least I can do considering all the trip reports I've eagerly read on SB.

 

[tridacna]

(Ahhh! So that's how quoting works...new here).

My pleasure...it's the least I can do considering all the trip reports I've eagerly read on SB.

TIP: I don't want to make you worry but as soon as you get through Customs, rush to check-in and try and make the earlier flight. The 5:10pm is the LAST flight of the day to LC and I stress DAY. If delayed, there is almost no chance of it taking off because LC runway has no landing lights and the sun sets at about 6:20pm in Cayman on that day.

 

[gratefulmjc]

TIP: I don't want to make you worry but as soon as you get through Customs, rush to check-in and try and make the earlier flight. The 5:10pm is the LAST flight of the day to LC and I stress DAY. If delayed, there is almost no chance of it taking off because LC runway has no landing lights and the sun sets at about 6:20pm in Cayman on that day.

Gotcha...thanks...wasn't aware of that angle.

Last year our Dulles-GC flight was delayed (it was one of those aggravating, indeterminate, every-fifteen-minutes-delay-departure-another-fifteen-minutes situations) and I started to get nervous about having adequate connection time (turned out we did and made the GC-LC flight without an issue). While stewing and waiting at the Dulles departure gate, I was Googling how long a GC connect takes and stumbled across an expedited customs service (for a fee). I'll have to check to see if they still offer that service and if it will speed things up enough to make a difference.

Thanks again for the insight.

 

[1fspeed]

-I've been to LCBR and Pirates point (2017). I'd go back to PP in a heartbeat. It's tiny, When we were there is was our group of 8 and two other people at the resort.
-Food is amazing. My youngest loves to bake and the cooks invited her to help make dessert one afternoon - awesome staff
-Very low key - Bar is open, as in no tender. Open your own bears and mix your own drinks.
-One of the dive guides took the kids on an Iguana/cocunut tour

Felt like we spent a week at a friends house rather than a resort.

One of our favorite trips of all time.

 

[tridacna]

Gotcha...thanks...wasn't aware of that angle.

Last year our Dulles-GC flight was delayed (it was one of those aggravating, indeterminate, every-fifteen-minutes-delay-departure-another-fifteen-minutes situations) and I started to get nervous about having adequate connection time (turned out we did and made the GC-LC flight without an issue). While stewing and waiting at the Dulles departure gate, I was Googling how long a GC connect takes and stumbled across an expedited customs service (for a fee). I'll have to check to see if they still offer that service and if it will speed things up enough to make a difference.

Thanks again for the insight.

Getting through immigration at GC is quite easy. They have automated booths similar to the US. Key is to sit as close to the front of the plane as possible. Getting bags is also quite efficient. You should have no need for the expedited service.

I was scheduled to arrive in GC on United at 1:30pm and take a 3:45pm flight to LC. CA summarily canceled my 3:45pm flight and scheduled me for the 8am, 6 hours before I was scheduled to arrive! Then after I complained made me stay overnight on GC at my expense. That was just the beginning of the fiasco with these incompetent noncompoops.

 

[gratefulmjc]

Thanks for the additional info...for some reason my memory fails me on getting thru customs, etc and to the CA counter to check in for the LC flight last year...no memory must equal no complaints. The sit-as-far-forward-as-possible trick is one I use. (Here's another, my gal and I always book window & aisle seats hoping that we'll have an empty middle seat between us...if not, the middle never says "thanks for the window seat offer but I'll stay in the middle"...flights seem much fuller these days so we don't get that empty middle as often as we used to).

But I do remember that security line at GC on a Saturday to get back to the gate for the LC flight...yuck!!! Though a late afternoon arrival/connection helps a little...a silver lining to a gray cloud.

We have our fingers crossed on CA getting it right if things go sideways. But CA doesn't partner with United so when one changes a schedule, the other doesn't pick up on it and make an adjustment...I feel like a travel agent on some of these trips. I'm not aware of CA partnering with any other airlines though. Regardless, my first choice is United...I traveled often for work and earned a decent lifetime loyalty program status with two free 70 lb bags for me and two for my gal and free extra legroom seating (6'4"!) as far forward in economy as available. Four free bags out and again on the return adds up to some real $ and gives United a huge price head start when looking for flights.

 

[David Miceli]

I am planning a trip to Little Cayman and would appreciate recommendations or suggestions on a dive resort. I have read the on-line reviews and descriptions of some of the resorts, but it would be invaluable to hear from someone who has actual experience staying and diving at a resort.
Thank you for your suggestions and comments

Might I suggest staying in the Oceanview room if not already booked as such. My wife and I love LCBR - fantastic service, friendly people, wonderful diving. You cannot go wrong.

Dave

 

[tridacna]

Might I suggest staying in the an Oceanview room if not already booked as such. My wife and I love LCBR - fantastic service, friendly people, wonderful diving. You cannot go wrong.

Dave

FTFY. There are quite a few OV rooms. I agree. They are larger and much nicer than the pool-facing rooms.

 

[gratefulmjc]

Getting through immigration at GC is quite easy. They have automated booths similar to the US. Key is to sit as close to the front of the plane as possible. Getting bags is also quite efficient. You should have no need for the expedited service.

I was scheduled to arrive in GC on United at 1:30pm and take a 3:45pm flight to LC. CA summarily canceled my 3:45pm flight and scheduled me for the 8am, 6 hours before I was scheduled to arrive! Then after I complained made me stay overnight on GC at my expense. That was just the beginning of the fiasco with these incompetent noncompoops.

As they say, a pessimist is an optimist with experience. Prior to yesterday, my single GC-LC flight data point had me in the optimist camp, now I'm on the fence and leaning hard toward the @tridacna camp.

Yesterday, United got us to GC early and as @tridacna predicted, being at the front of the plane got us through immigration (used a kiosk a la Gobal Entry...I don't recall them at my last visit in Feb 2022) and customs in a snap. We had plenty of time to move from the last flight of day at 5:10 to an earlier flight and snagged the last two seats on the 3:20...which was delayed til 4:50 (read on). This process took an hour because the agent needed a supervisor's approval. Only after we got those marginally earlier seats, not when we first arrived to check in, were we told that one of the Otters was out of service and our 5:10 had been canceled (BTW, not a whiff of that cancelation online or the airport departure boards). Needless to say there were quite a few high fives...until 4 o'clock when we were paged in the boarding area with a request to head back out to check-in mad where we were told that due to an oversight those last two seats actually weren't available.

We were given seats on (now) today's 7:05am flight and vouchers for to/from taxis, hotel (Marriott SMB), and a meal (well, $30 each), retrieved our bags, checked in, cleaned up, and had a nice dinner. I'd say that CA handled the overnight reasonably.

Being retired I travel constantly for fun (and realize how lucky I am to be able to do so). This is my first glitch in years so I'll take the glitch and missed AM two-tank with some grace...SERENITY NOW!