It’s your last day on Grand Cayman.  You’ve had a relaxing and fun week, but, like all good things, the vacation must now come to an end.   A long day of travel lies ahead.

Grand Cayman Villas and Condos has a pro tip for cutting down the long wait until boarding and avoiding the crowds in the Owen Roberts Airport.

We suggest you plan to arrive at the airport three hours ahead of your flight when the ticket desk first opens.  Getting to the airport early before the crowds begin to line up should enable you to check bags and obtain your boarding passes fairly quickly.   Turn in your rental car prior to ticketing.

Once you’ve turned in your rental car and have boarding passes in hand, shepherd your family or group outside and catch the shuttle to the George Town Yacht Club for cocktails and a relaxing lunch.

The George Town Yacht Club is only a few hundred feet directly across from the airport at the Barcadere Marina. It is literally a two minute drive. There is an outdoor as well as an indoor option for dining.  Indoor is lovely and airconditioned and outdoor is beach dining and has a nice view of the marina. Their menu offers a wide variety of selections that is sure to please everyone in the group no matter their age.  The service is pleasant and efficient and they are used to diners who need to be on time to catch their flights.

After lunch, the shuttle will take you back to the airport. It’s a good rule of thumb to allow 30-40 minutes to get through airport security depending upon the time of year.  Winter and Spring Break season are usually the heaviest.

Feel good that you’ve just spared yourself and your family two hours of boring wait time with hundreds of fellow travelers.  It will make the flight home seem so much shorter.

The shuttle runs back and forth from the airport to the Yacht Club all day.  You may call ahead to let them know of your plans.   Their number is 1-345-947-4842.  For more information on the George Town Yacht Club and their shuttle, check them out on Facebook.

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!