This was our experience in May, 2005.

With the international baggage limit of 70 pounds per bag, we decided to bring one large suitcase filled with groceries. Watching for local sales, I was able to accumulate T-Bones, Baby Back Ribs, boneless chicken, bacon and sausage for a couple of weeks before our trip. It amounted to about six nights worth of entrees. I used a soft sided cooler that fit nicely into the large suitcase for the meat. I fit all of the meat into that cooler and froze the entire thing solid in my deep freeze. The morning of our flight I put the cooler inside the suitcase and packed the rest of the groceries around it. The was all still frozen solid when we arrived at the Reef many hours later.

We also packed cold cereals, pasta and rice packaged side dishes, a few seasonings and condiments. Also a couple of pouches of cookie mixes, peanut butter, cooking oil, granola bars, dried apricots, roasted peanuts, a plastic bottle with liquid laundry soap, fabric softner sheets, and a couple of bottles of our favorite booze in plastic traveler bottles.

Cayman customs told me over the phone to keep all of the meat in it’s original grocery packages and to bring reciepts for everything, since they charge a duty that ranges from 15-20 percent on groceries. No problems or restrictions on beef. NO FRESH FRUITS OR VEGETABLES. I was really pleased when my suitcase full of groceries was inspected, the customs official looked over my items, glanced at my pile of reciepts that totaled about $90 US, and waved me through without charging the duty. HOW NICE. That was our first of my great experiences with the people of the Caymans.

On the way to the Reef we stopped for fresh fruit, vegetables and dairy, paper products, and canned goods. The grocery stores are wonderful and fully stocked with everything, but I know I saved $$$ with my grocery suitcase. We still spent a couple of hundred $$ U.S. on at the grocery store just round out our supplies and re-stocking during our ten day trip.

By the way, the extra luggage space from the consumed groceries is perfect for souveniers on the flight home. We would do it the same way next time.

The nice thing about soft side cooler is they pack flat, and when you want to spend that last few minutes on the beach before the mad dash to the airport…you can smash your wet suit in the thing, fold it down and come home without worrying about that wet swim suit!

We generally make sure to take coffee, and a couple bags of cereal [we don’t go out in the a.m. for breakfast often as we are on the Northside], dish machine detergent and any snacks we love and may be afraid we can’t find there. I have never taken frozen goods before – just stopped at Hurleys on the way out and picked them up.

Good tips though, something to think about for next year!

Thanks!

~Karen

It’s just as well that we can’t bring more on Northwest. My goal really is to bring less each year…..not more. I usually bring many outfits that I never wear!

I have to keep reminding myself……bring half the clothes and twice the money. ?

Char

Aren’t Hebrew National sausages made of beef? You should have no problem bringing any meat products in as long as they are in the original grocery packaging. In other words. No wild game! :cheers: Call the Cayman Customs office if you want the final word. You can get that somewhere on the Cayman Government website.

I just went to

http://www.caymanislands.ky/tour_guide/faq.asp#4

FAQs & this was what was posted:

Can we bring meat in to the Cayman Islands?

Yes you can, though you may be charged duty if the amount is more than US$35, or if the quantity exceeds what H.M. Customs considers a reasonable amount for your personal consumption while in Cayman.

Meat and other cold cuts coming out of the US must have the USDA stamp of approval, preferably stored in the original supermarket packaging and it has to be inspected by a representative of the Department of Agriculture who is usually found in the Customs area of the Airport terminal. top

What about groceries?

You are allowed to bring groceries into the Islands. However, we have very well stocked supermarkets, a local farmers’ market in Grand Cayman and numerous mini marts and Gas station service marts where you can purchase groceries.

I think we’ll bring a little bit just so we can budget for other things.

:cheers: :dine: :band: :divegirl: :margarita: :band1: :love: :diving: :rockbed: :drinking: :pirate:

This will be our first trip to the Cayman Islands. We will have a connecting flight in Miami both going and returning home. Is there customs in Cayman Islands or do we have to clear thru Miami on our stopover? ?

Char, thanks so much for the info. Sounds like an easy process.

I’d like to add my 10 cents worth. We flew in October, the first line we had to show our documents, long slow lines, next more long slow lines with our luggage, luckily a line opened up and we went right through. Back at Miami, going thru customs was slow, make sure you have your passport, we had more than our share of rum and didn’t get checked, we never have our luggage checked in Miami.