Introduction to Grand Cayman

I was up early for another fun-filled day with MSC Cruises. It was my first time to Grand Cayman, an island I had heard nothing but good things about.

I let Mom sleep in and I had breakfast in the Yacht Club’s Top Sail Lounge. It was an excellent cold buffet filed with fruits, Danish, cake, bread, muffins, cheese, cereal, and yogurt.

I had a little of everything along with a cappuccino, also complimentary to MSC Cruise’s Yacht Club guests.

I had made arrangements with Viator to take a tour so I had a quick breakfast and took one of the first tenders from the MSC Divina to the island. It was warm and sunny as I walked around looking for my guide.

                                                                        

Rex found me at the pier and took me to the bus to cool off and wait for the others on the tour.

Once we were all onboard, he told us about this wealthy island with beautiful beaches and lots to do. As we drove, Rex pointed out some of the interesting places on Grand Cayman and we did make a few stops.

We saw house made completely from conch shells. The second was definitely more exciting, at least to me.

I had no idea Tortuga Rum made so many different products and spirits. I always thought of them as just the bakers of those cakes in the gold hexagon box.

First, it turns out those cakes come in a variety of flavors, including chocolate and lime. It also turns out that Tortuga makes the rum that goes in them in various flavors. I really enjoyed the Pineapple Rum and Coconut Rum best.

The Tortuga Rum Factory also had some native creatures outside in cages to greet us, including some peacocks and an iguana.

We then made a stop on Seven Mile Beach. It’s often been called one of the best beaches in the Caribbean and it certainly looks deserving of that title. It’s also the home of many high end hotels, such as the Ritz Carlton and the Westin Grand Cayman.

Next, we went to the Cayman Island Turtle Farm. It was an interesting place where they were breeding turtles, mostly for food. They did let school children release some turtles each year out into the sea.

After seeing the turtles, babies, large adults, and everything in between, we were back in the bus and heading to Hell.

I know Hell is basically just a tourist destination, but it was quite interesting for a short stop to see the shops and see the black limestone that helped earn this small town its name.

Rex took us back to the pier and I thanked him, agreeing that Viator provides a great tour.

I had hoped to go to Stingray City, but I couldn’t arrange it in time to be back on the ship so I just did a bit of shopping in downtown Georgetown before taking the tender back to the MSC Divina.

On board, Mom and I had probably the best buffet I’ve ever eaten. It included an equal to New York Pizza and a Waldorf Salad.

After lunch we relaxed for a little while and then went to the spa. Mom had a lymphatic massage and I had a Swedish one, which was perfect for my aching back and feet after a few days of lots of walking.

When my massage was finished I toured the spa and it was by far the nicest and largest I’ve ever seen on a ship. Also, all of the therapists had trained in Bali and were very experienced in all techniques. Mom certainly agreed and she made an appointment for another massage two days later while I was booked for the Himalayan Dream.

I took a short nap and then we went to High Tea. The ship had it every afternoon, but this was our first. They had tea sandwiches, pistachio mousse and mascarpone with cherries.

I was a bit disappointed that the tea was bags and not brewed, but it was nice to sit there and sip while we watched the sunset.

We walked outside to the Le Muse Restaurant. The deck was set up for the White Night Party later in the evening.

It was another wonderful dinner at this restaurant only available to MSC Yacht Club guests. I had the French Onion Soup and baby lamb chops, while Mom enjoyed Clams Casino and a filet of sole stuffed and on a cauliflower au gratin. The blueberry cheesecake they had for dessert was amazing.

We listened to the Italian music in the lounge, but I was fading fast. It had been a long day and there was going to be another one just a few hours away as the MSC Divina was heading to Costa Maya.