Hotels, Duty and Beaches

Newbie Joined: 04 Jan 2009 Posts: 2

Hi everyone... I would appreciate some help... English is not my first language, I apologize for any confusions. My husband and I are going to Grand Cayman for the first time. Reading the forms has helped educated us with some areas. My questions are:
1) There seems to be some kind of talk abt hotels charging some kind of extra fee including our regular price. Is this true?
2) What is a DUTY that some have mention ? is that the same as liquor?
3) Can anyone recommend a list of hotels that are right on the beach? I do not wish to cross heavy traffic just to enjoy the beach.
4) Are the beaches swimmable? Reason I am asking is because in most photos members have took of beaches I have not seen a mass number of visitors in the waters.

Posted: Sun Jan 04, 2009 8:53 pm Post subject:

Hi SRAILE!

Welcome to the forum!

I can answer a couple of questions since we go almost every year and we'll be there in about a month

We are staying at the Comfort Suites which is on beautiful seven mile beach and just a small walk to the beach, it is a nice motel, less expensive than most on Grand Cayman plus breakfast is included.

And as far as the beach being swimmable..... YES!...... we probably spend 3 hours every day just enjoying the water, we snorkle and scuba dive also but just relaxing in the warm waters is something we really enjoy

so where are you from and when will you be there?

you are going to have a blast at GC, hopefully you've explored this forum and learned about the many unique activities like Stingray City and Boatswain's Beach and Rum Point and of course shopping in Georgetown.

Posted: Mon Jan 05, 2009 9:27 am Post subject:

I would like to also welcome you to the forum, sraile Smile

,

I will try to answer your questions -

Quote:

1) There seems to be some kind of talk abt hotels charging some kind of extra fee including our regular price. Is this true?

Yes, all hotels and condos charge an extra tax which can be anywhere from 10% to 16%. The 10% tax is by Cayman law and the extra is up to the individual property, but I think most do add on an additional 5 to 6% on top of the 10%.

Quote:

2) What is a DUTY that some have mention ? is that the same as liquor?

Duty is a type of tax charged on goods that you might have bought at home and are bringing into the Cayman Islands to eat or drink, for example. You may have been reading about how much alcohol you are allowed to bring into the Cayman Islands without having to pay duty on it.

Quote:

3) Can anyone recommend a list of hotels that are right on the beach? I do not wish to cross heavy traffic just to enjoy the beach.

All of our recommended hotels along the 7 Mile Beach are located on the same side of the street as the beach. No street crossing required! Take a look at the Hotel/Resort and Condo sections of this forum for recommendations. Better yet - go to the

page and read all about them. If you check the boxes on the ones that you are interested in, and indicate your dates, you should receive a quote with a nice discount for being a member of this forum Wink

.

Quote:

4) Are the beaches swimmable? Reason I am asking is because in most photos members have took of beaches I have not seen a mass number of visitors in the waters.

Yes, as Squidkisser said, they are very swimmable! Some have a little easier access into the water than others (sandy entry rather than some rocks at the water's edge). Generally, the beaches at the hotels are pretty crowded, but the beaches at the condos tend to be empty and uncrowded.

I hope this helps a bit. Do some reading on the forum and then come back and ask more questions!

Char

Frequent Flyer Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 98

sraile: The reason you don't see mass numbers of people in the water, is because it is rarely crowded anywhere (except maybe the area that cruise ship people are taken to -- but that's easy to avoid) -- there are many lovely beaches with easy water entry and easy swimming and snorkeling. And you can't always see the people in the water because they're snorkeling. Some of the fun beaches with good snorkeling can be a little rocky -- it's helpful to have aqua shoes (water booties) for some sites (but not everywhere). Many of the beach areas have restroom buildings, or at least clean port-a-potties that have toilet tissue.

The traffic on the main road along the beach can look a little intimidating for crossiing sometimes, but people seem to be pretty good at stopping for pedestrians, and to let drivers turn in and out of places.

You can get along without a car, if you stay somewhere along seven mile beach -- walking, using the local bus, or taxis, but we prefer to get a rental car, because there are lots of other places to visit around the island. Try to avoid going into downtown Georgetown on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, when it is elbow-to-elbow with cruise ship passengers.

Good luck researching around for answers to all your questions; there's of good info available. Have a wonderful visit!

Native Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 1023 Location: Illinois

SQUIDKISSER wrote:

Hi SRAILE!

Welcome to the forum!

I can answer a couple of questions since we go almost every year and we'll be there in about a month

We are staying at the Comfort Suites which is on beautiful seven mile beach and just a small walk to the beach, it is a nice motel, less expensive than most on Grand Cayman plus breakfast is included.

And as far as the beach being swimmable..... YES!...... we probably spend 3 hours every day just enjoying the water, we snorkle and scuba dive also but just relaxing in the warm waters is something we really enjoy

so where are you from and when will you be there?

you are going to have a blast at GC, hopefully you've explored this forum and learned about the many unique activities like Stingray City and Boatswain's Beach and Rum Point and of course shopping in Georgetown.

I haven't checked the board lately....still miss getting my replies......but I'm so happy to hear you're returning to GC, squiddy. Enjoy. I'm just starting to vacation shop for this year's trip....not sure where....still looking.

Newbie Joined: 04 Jan 2009 Posts: 2

Everyone has been extremely helpful! Thank you again ... Im not too sure when we might go... my husband keeps changing the months... but thats ok with me as I can do a little bit of homework on CI. Again thank you all and I will ask more questions if I have. palm