Stingrays and Shopping on Grand Cayman

Swimming with the stingrays at Grand Cayman’s Stingray City Sandbar is one of the most thrilling and fun things to do while vacationing on the island.  The stingrays are tame and used to mingling with humans.  It’s an experience you and your family won’t forget.

Conversely, if shopping is your thing, George Town is another great place to spend a few hours.  Kirk Freeport has an excellent selection of watches, jewelry, Herend collectibles, and china.  Guy Harvey’s Grill and Hard Rock Cafe are great places to have lunch.  If there are many cruise ships scheduled that day, the stores and restaurants may be difficult to navigate because of the crowds.

How to Avoid Grand Cayman Cruise Ship Crowds

Tourism is an important industry for the residents of Grand Cayman and the island happily welcomes all visitors whether they come by plane or by boat.  However, there are times when the stingray sandbar, as well as George Town, become crowded with lots of cruise ship folks who are looking forward to enjoying their time on the island, as well.

Instead of a morning trip to the stingray sandbar, we recommend an afternoon snorkel trip.  Unless you schedule a private boat and the captain is able to avoid the crowds and take you to less populated snorkel sites and letting the crowds die down, an afternoon excursion will be better because the cruise ship travelers will be reporting back to their boats around 2pm and will need to leave the sandbar before then.

The Grand Cayman Port Authority keeps a daily schedule of cruise ship arrivals.  Simply click on the link and enter the month or day of interest.  We encourage our Our Grand Cayman Villas and Condos guests to take a look at the schedule before heading to George Town or Seven Mile Beach for the day.

Cayman is so much fun.  We want you to have a fantastic and relaxing vacation!