IN A RUSH TO RELAX?????

CAN'T THIS BOAT GO FASTER????

Our crew are faced with many interesting questions which they love to answer, but the above question is without doubt one that causes some serious confusion for them.

It would be safe to say that 100% of our guests are on excursion with us to visit some of nature's most beautiful sites. Even if they are living on island, and are not on Grand Cayman for a vacation, surely it can be safely assumed that they are with us to relax, breathe in the salt air and commune in surroundings which are not man-made nor of concrete structure.

Has life become SO busy that we can no longer slow down? Does nothing count unless it can be done in a New York minute? Do we really want to live our lives in an instant?

So, to answer your question, oh yeah baby, it sure can, but why would we want it to? Why would we want to rush you past all this beauty? And with only a couple of feet of water under our helm, why would we want to leave a path of disturbance behind us?

Nah. Enjoy your time with us. Relax. Breathe. Sigh. But most of all ...... stop and smell the sea air.

DIVE INTO THAT CARIBBEAN VACATION!

Taking a dive into a Grand Cayman vacation

This is one spectacular dive off of Big John - Starfish Point was the site where we were stopped during the tour on January 17. Happy to welcome cruise guests from the Aida Bella, and overnight island visitors from Villas of the Galleon and George Town Villas - the above image provides an idea of the general feeling on the boat for the excursion!

Grand Cayman was putting a great show of beautiful tropical weather, although, as it is "winter" for us, the sun was not "biting" as much as usual, and the tropical breeze was soothing and fresh.

The Aida Bella at Anchor in George Town, Grand Cayman

Captain Mario spotted a small turtle whizzing by under the boat but it happened too fast for him to show the guests. However, while at Starfish Point, we were treated to a rare visit of Brown Pelicans - they were wonderful to watch splashing around and then gracefully taking to the air. Captain Mario was unable to catch pictures of them today, but went back on Sunday and managed some then.

Lovely conditions, and the stingrays were enjoyed by all - especially one exceptional little adventurer who was thrilled to touching them at the sandbar - the stingray handing out kisses today was Frosty.

If you would like to read more news on Grand Cayman and our tours, check out the Captain's Log - we hope you enjoy!

Last touch before we leave!

SNORKELLING & STINGRAY CITY IN GRAND CAYMAN - BARBARA ENTERTAINS

Stingray kiss fail - Grand Cayman Sandbar

Local operators and visitors to Grand Cayman alike have been getting a thorough blasting from the winds since the end of the hurricane season .... that's somewhat ironic, isn't it? Whilst it is normal in December for us to experience climatic mood swings that can rival the most hormonal teenager, we have had to keep a low profile for longer than is accustomed. 

The water at the sandbar where our excursions take island visitors to meet, feed & kiss the stingrays is usually around 3-5 feet deep, depending on the tide. As smooth as a good rum in calm weather, certain winds stir up big swells and respectable waves in the North Sound ...... proof perfect above.

But while the surface may not be all we wish for vacationers to our Caribbean paradise, you can still count on snorkelling your way to a bit of fun. 

There are a number of sociable Southern Stingrays who cavort with our guests at the various snorkel sites which we frequent - and if you keep up with our Captain's Log, you will be very familiar with Barbara. She's the one without the tail. She is also the Captain's favourite.....

The pictures below show just how friendly this lovely lady is, playing tag and chase with our tour guests at Coral Garden yesterday. She is an absolute delight and definitely not camera shy. We are certain that people who have experienced playing with her will never forget the moment, and hope that the photos that we managed to capture (and provide for free) will keep this very special holiday memory alive for a long time to come!

AT WHAT PRICE INTEGRITY?

We do hope that everyone has had a wonderful christmas and New Year and we wish all peace, health and safety for 2015! We wish the same for our very precious stingrays at the Sandbar in Grand Cayman and will make sure we get to kiss as many of them as possible!

We are now entering into the busiest period on the island - end December through to March is usually high season for guests out to enjoy a caribbean vacation away from the cold. It is now considered "winter" here - if you have experienced our summers you will understand why we cover up with sweaters in temperatures of 22 celsius! We look forward to meeting guests from far and wide, whether they arrive by cruise ship or by plane.

Unpleasantly, we have noticed a trend towards "bullying" operators. Over the last 6 months, there has been an increasing number of incidents of guests booking standard tours and then upon arrival loudly arguing that they had booked a private tour and then (a) expect to pay the standard tour fee for a private tour and (b) demand that other clients be abandoned. This has even extended to online queries offering promises of money to "get rid" of already booked guests so they can enjoy a boat to themselves.

Anyone can make a mistake, and we are sure that somewhere in our future there might well be an instance where an error has occurred - should this happen, we would take whatever steps we could to rectify the situation and ensure a great outcome for the guest. But it is horribly unpleasant to have to defend one's integrity when (a) no error has been made and (b) everything about a company and its services are advertised online. 

One wonders if said guests would use the same tactic with an airline or hotel? After booking an economy ticket, would they yell at their pilot that they had booked first class tickets and had not counted on sharing the plane with quite so many people? After booking a standard room in a hotel, would they then confront the manager and demand they had requested the best suite and were unhappy about sharing the hotel pool with so many guests?

Well, perhaps they would. But we can assure the guests who book with us that we value their loyalty and our integrity, and vow that their bookings will never be cancelled because of "better offers". You have shown trust in us by choosing our company's services and boy are we gonna make sure we are worth it!

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!!