STINGRAY CITY GRAND CAYMAN - BEST TOUR # 2

Stingray City in Grand Cayman is free??????

Then what am I paying for?????

There is no charge for entering the water at the Stingray City Sandbar, likewise, snorkelling in  the Cayman Islands is free. So what are you paying for?

You are paying for the best excursion experience you can afford, and while searching through the numerous tour operators available, you are choosing how you want to experience your visit to the Cayman stingrays and snorkel sites.

Stingray City Sandbar Grand Cayman - stunning!

Grand Cayman Excursions come in all shapes and sizes (with the relative price). You can choose  between motor boats (we use a motor boat - this is faster and carries guests to see more in the allotted tour time), catamarans and jet skis. There are small boats and huge boats, cheap excursions and expensive ones. Cruise passengers have to decide between cruise tours or independent  tour operators. Private tours are also available ....... the possibilities are endless.....

So, ultimately, you are paying for how you experience your visit.

Before reserving the first (or cheapest) tour you can find, perhaps ask yourself the following questions:

• Will I feel safe doing this excursion? Responsible Stingray City operators will ensure that they are licensed by (and act in accordance with the laws) of the Cayman Islands Port Authority and the Cayman Island Department of Environment
• What is included in the price of the tour? Make sure there are no "hidden" costs e.g. do you need to pay to use on-board snorkel equipment, are photos and refreshments an extra expense?
• Do I receive maximum value for my money? How many sites does the excursion include and what do I get to see?
• What is the duration of the tour? Some tour operators might advertise a longer tour time than others, but this may include the time it takes to transport you to the boat. This may, or may not, suit you.
• Will the crew assist me? For some visitors, Stingray City and snorkeling might be a little beyond their comfort zone - will the crew assist me and be in the water with me?
• Is this tour operator recommended? Read up reviews on tour operators - no tour operator can please everyone all of the time, but reading reviews will give you a very good general "feel" for the excursion operator and it's crew.

Would you prefer the "A" experience, or the "B"? You choose.

All of the reputable excursion operators in Grand Cayman work hard to provide the best experience they can to their guests, and we sincerely hope that the visitors to this world famous site leave with  only beautiful memories that will last a life time!

Happy Caribbean vacation planning!

STINGRAY CITY GRAND CAYMAN - BEST TOUR #1

How do I find the best excursion to Stingray City in Grand Cayman?

Grand Cayman has loads of fantastic things to do, and a wide choice of excursion operators to do them with. Finding that special one can leave travellers exhausted before they even start their Caribbean vacation - naturally, each island guest wishes to get the best experience that their hard earned money can afford!

The many tours and excursions to Stingray City Sandbar (easily the best attraction in the Cayman Islands) offer something for each island visitor - options that can suit your particular holiday budget, quest for adventure or passion.

Tips for finding YOUR best excursion

Ask yourself:

• What are my favourite things to do? If you love snorkelling and the sea, find a tour that includes those activities - don't waste precious time looking at land-based excursions
• How long do I have? Cruise passengers are often restricted by the length of time their ship is in port - work out your itinerary and how much time you want to dedicate to a tour
• What is my budget? A vacation budget is essential - work out what you are happy to pay, save for it and stick to the budget!
• How fit am I? Water sports and outdoor activities are main attractions on Caribbean holidays - choose excursions which suit your level of physical fitness - vacations are for relaxing, not exerting yourself beyond healthy limits. And remember - it is hot out there!
• How do I want to experience this? These options are limitless but deciding this beforehand  will help define your search. Do you want to round up a group of people to do a private tour? Is your preference a motor boat which is faster and allows you to see more? Are you an extrovert who aims for maximum crowds or do you want a more personal tour?

This is a great way to start narrowing your search to find the excursion that best suits your tastes and pocket. Tomorrow, we shall write more about choosing the excursion for you.....till then, happy vacation planning!

Want to read a bit more? Check out our follow up POST.

STINGRAY CITY GRAND CAYMAN - "THE GIRLS" # 3

Fall in love with a stingray? Possible? We do.....every day......

Stingray City in Grand Cayman is a world famous attraction. No Cayman Islands vacation itinerary is complete without this item - a top of the list thing to do!

There are many tours to the sandbar where you can commune with, feed and even kiss these beautiful stingrays (earning 7 years good luck while doing it!). 

Every day, North Sound in Grand Cayman lures travellers from cruise ships, luxurious island hotels and expats to the many attractions found here. You have a choice of excursions to snorkel sites and the Stingray City Sandbar, or private chartered tours to gorgeous spots such as Starfish Point, Rum Point and Kaibo Yacht Club.

But the best activity is visiting the "ladies" at Stingray City. We have taken numerous guests to this spot, and have yet to find one person who does not fall under their spell. No-one leaves without a smile on their face - no-one.

We fall in love with them every day, with the stingrays revealing their individual personalities over time. Today, we introduce you to "Snowflake" - she is one of Dwayne's favourites, with a shy, gentle and endearing nature. Covered with a  sprinkling of little white marks, she looks as if she has floated through snowflakes and collected some on the way - an impossible scenario in this tropical surrounding, but romantic nonetheless!

The gentle and endearing stingray called "Snowflake"

Stingray City Sandbar, Grand Cayman

So, add this to your bucket list......you'll be SO glad you did!

GRAND CAYMAN VACATION

A Grand Cayman vacation - the ultimate Caribbean holiday!

This tropical island offers something for every visitor, whether you are on a budget or opting for luxury, wanting a relaxing get-a-way or planning that dream destination wedding.

Caribbean sea lovers have an ocean of choices - snorkelling, diving and adventure excursions to Stingray City Sandbar being just a few. The Cayman Islands offer some of the best snorkel sites in the world, and Stingray City is a favourite bucket list item!

Beach lovers can enjoy stretches of coral sands wherever their sense of adventure takes them - Seven Mile Beach is one of the most beautiful - offering endless varieties of water sports or even just a romantic stroll for honeymoon couples along it's coral sands.

Starfish Point in Grand Cayman

A huge menu of land based attractions translates into a buffet of things to do. Go to Hell (you can mail postcards from here!), swim with the turtles at Turtle Farm (a great family adventure) or pleasure your foodie palate at one of the awesome array of restaurants that could satisfy anyone's taste.

Add to all of this the sunny and happy nature of the people of the Cayman Islands and you can be assured of the best Caribbean vacation possible!

Caribbean sunset - dream ending to a private tour

PRIVATE CHARTERED TOURS - STINGRAY CITY GRAND CAYMAN

Private tours or chartered excursions in Grand Cayman are a great choice for groups of people travelling together. Whether you are visiting Cayman Islands off a cruise ship, or are staying on island, this really is the ultimate way to experience Stingray City and other attractions including snorkelling sites, Kaibo Yacht Club or Starfish Point to name just a few.

Most local tour operators offer the choice of standard or customised tours. Customised tours (depending on the number of guests in a group), can very often work out cheaper than the per guest price for standard tours. 

Chartered excursions allow you to customise your experience - you can choose the attractions you most wish to see and how long you wish to tour for. There are so many things to do while on vacation in Grand Cayman, and private tours afford you the luxury of picking and choosing the best. Another benefit is being able to fully relax with people that you know and enjoy.

So go on - ask your preferred operator if they offer a customised excursion service and check the prices - you may be pleasantly surprised!

Happy Grand Cayman vacation planning!!

GRAND CAYMAN ISLANDS - CRUISE PASSENGER INFORMATION

Cruise passengers visiting Grand Cayman are sometimes confused about time differences. This can lead to them arriving too early or (unfortunately), too late to meet their chosen tour operator.

Grand Cayman is on EST (Eastern Standard Time) and DOES NOT practice daylight saving. 

The island welcomes numerous cruise ships - some of these stay on the time of their port of departure, some change their time to the port of arrival, some practice daylight saving and some don't. It is impossible for local excursion operators to know which ship does what, and generally, will quote their tour times in local time.

In our confirmation e-mails to cruise guests, we try to highlight this factor, and provide a link to our website which shows Cayman time - this link follows : TIME IN GRAND CAYMAN.

An alternative point of reference can be found on 24TimeZones.com

If in any doubt, do ask your cruise crew for assistance with time differences.

Happy cruising - Grand Cayman Island looks forward to meeting you!

STINGRAY CITY GRAND CAYMAN - "THE GIRLS" # 2

"Scarface". As photos of our beautiful ladies (the stingrays at Stingray City) become available, we will introduce you to them. Scarface is named for her very obvious injury - a great big gash along the left side of her "nose". Thankfully, she has healed well.....but it is a very graphic reminder of the boaters who use the North Sound with reckless abandon and disregard for the creatures who live there. These "cowboys" earn no respect, unlike the "girls" who deserve all the respect in the world!

LOVE YA SCARFACE!

PARADISE FOUND - GRAND CAYMAN

Caribbean beauty.....we share complimentary photos of the tours with our guests. What a pleasure it is for us to share photos like this!

SNORKEL GRAND CAYMAN

Okay folks....this is what is so exciting about today......this is an example of the conditions that can be expected today..........snorkelling at Coral Gardens in Grand Cayman! Enough to make the office staff want to put on their snorkel goggles and catch up with "Big John" taking our tour guests there!!!

STINGRAY CITY GRAND CAYMAN - "THE GIRLS"

Stingray City in Grand Cayman has become world famous as a unique spot where you can commune with, feed and even kiss the stingrays for 7 years good luck! Over the years, the stingrays have displayed their different personalities, and each of our crew has their "favourite"! Today, we would like to introduce you to Captain Mario's "other woman" - Barbara. Some of the Stingray City Tour operators call her Frisbee, but Mario felt she deserved a far prettier name and called her Barbara, ironically, because of her lack of "tail". She is terribly fond of Captain Mario of Acquarius Sea Tours - at the snorkelling spot she is often seen waiting for him. When he gets the chance, in he dives, puts out his arms.....and she swims into them and settles in for a snuggle! So folks, without much further ado, here she is...what a girl!

CRUISE EXCURSIONS TO GRAND CAYMAN

Good morning to all! The weather conditions in Grand Cayman today are looking spectacular for the sea tour operators....blue skies with scattered clouds and just about no wind......some of the best conditions that the excursion operators can ask for when taking guests to Stingray City! Yup, if you looked up from Grand Cayman this is what you should see today.......

Today has been quite hectic with a cruise ship arriving and changing it's in-port time at the very last minute. This can cause so much stress for the independent operators and the guests who have booked excursions with them. Luckily, Captain Mario has just called to say that all our guests are safely with him and on their way to enjoy their visit to Stingray City, a snorkel stop and Starfish Point! Have fun Acquarius Sea Tours guests!

Hello to all our readers! Today we forge our way into a new area - blogging! Our company runs excursions, tours and chartered private tours to Stingray City, snorkel sites, and other beautiful spots in Grand Cayman. We take this opportunity to introduce ourselves, the owners of the company... About Acquarius Sea Tours

We hope you enjoy our posts and photos!