Charter/Day Trip Recommendations?

As stated in early threads we plan on being on GCM from February 7th to 19th. Since this is our fist trip there I though I would ask for help or advice from you folks. Normally during our vacations we charter a boat for a snorkel trip/day trip on the water. What I am looking for is advice on who you folks recommend.

Here is what we usually look for:

- A boat with smaller numbers of tourist (less than 15-20 people). We will have 4 adults (two couples) in our group.
- We usually like an all day excursion. Start in the morning and end before dinner.
- Usually lunch is served on board or at a stop along the way.
- Couple snorkel stops along the way.
- Open bar/rum punch on board
- We like a fun group. We are not big party people that want a "booze cruise" but we do enjoy a meeting new people. We are fun loving group and almost always have a great time. As well as the people we meet on board.
- Bathroom on board for the ladies.

Now we don't have to have everything on the list we really are easy going and do just go with the flow, but I thought I would pass on what we usually look for.

Any advice or recommendation would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Unlike many other islands, you'll find most group tours are focused around trips to a single destination, that being Sting Ray City. There are some snorkeling specific tours to other locations, but they are not full day tours. Private charters are expensive, but they sound like more of what you're looking for.

For a snorkel only tour (not including Sting Ray City), Ocean Frontiers offers a great snorkeling experience from their East End Dive facility. I've been twice and never had over 10 other snorkelers, but its only a few hours.

There are plenty of private charters to choice from. Some to look at are Mainstays Sailing and Aquarius tours, but be prepared for potential sticker shock if its just the four of you. There are power boat tours available as well, that may be a little less costly. Just be sure to confirm whoever you are looking at is a member of the Cayman Islands Tourism Association (CITA).

You should take a tour to SRC, and I'd highly recommend you make the effort to take an early morning/dawn tour to enjoy a much more intimate experience than a mid-day or afternoon tour. I've done it with White Sands Water Sports and can highly recommend.

Lots of great advice. Not exactly sure what our group will want to do. I was just basing my ideas on previous trips we have had on different islands. We are always open to try something different. My biggest worry is to just be herded in like cattle and and head to a destination where you spend more time watching out for others then you do enjoying the experience.

It looks like that Oceans Frontiers might be a good option (group size around 12). Early morning definitely does not bother me. I am very early riser, but the others in my group.........well you just never know what time that they might get up. LOL.

I actually like the Mainstay option too. We are going to be renting a cat in the BVI's in 2020 for 10 days so it might be fun to try that option out too. Anyways thanks again for the advice.

I don't know nearly as much as Testudo about Grand Cayman, but I definitely second the recommendation to do Sting Ray City. It's really an unusual experience. Just check to see the size of the group, as many of them are really big groups.

Our favorite water excursion while staying on GCM was the jet ski excursion with Fat Fish Adventures. Amazing day spent with a small group and a more personal experience at the sandbar and the reef. We took their last excursion of the day which gives you more time at the same price to hit Rum Point and other spots. They manage to work around the larger groups of cruise ship passengers, especially on the later excursion.

Excellent day and top-notch outfit!

Also if you are staying on or near SMB consider taking the free ($5pp now) Red Sail cat to Rum Point for dinner - very nice evening, and the ride from Safehaven Dock is nice as well, returning under the stars. Check days offered, it was Tues - Sat.

We are actually staying pretty close to Rum Point. We rented a condo about 1-2 miles away on the north shore.

Carol-

I believe that we will definitely be trying SRC. Sounds like not many islands around can offer an excursion like that, so we pretty much have to give it a go. We will be watching the tour size though. Thanks everyone.

Yes managing your arrival time there makes a huge difference in the experience as it is the most popular excursion offered on W Carib cruises.

100% this. It is more important then the size of your specific tour/boat. If there are hundreds of folks from the cattle boats at SRC the same time there you are, that usually means a lot less interaction you will get from the resident Rays.

I am not a morning person either, but the early morning trip was a a game changer for me. The Rays are hungrier than other times and there seem to be more than at other times. Now when we have guests who want to visit SRC, it's the only one I'll join them on. If the early morning trip is not viable, I'd opt for the latest one you can find in the afternoon to better avoid the crowds. Rays may be more satiated, but it'll feel less like zoo (metaphorically).

Yes with FFA we were there after the crowds had departed and it was just our small group and the interaction was so much better than on our previous visit with fellow cruisers. FFa’s last excursion leaves around 2 if I remember and for the same price as earlier departures you get more time so it is geared for residents and land visitors wishing to avoid the cruise crowds...

I will definitely check out FFA. It appears that they even do a private charter for around $650. When you split that up between the 4 of us that really isn't to bad. Thank you for the heads up. I always like to get as much information as I can from real people who have "been there and done that". It gives me good comfort level that I am hedging my bets that I will have the best time possible.