Grand Cayman (July 17, 2025)

I got my love of travelling from my parents.  Somehow, on a New York City teacher’s salary, they took me, my brother, and my sister on wonderful trips – to see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in Puerto Rico, to Europe, and on Caribbean cruises. 

Those cruises continued after we had our own kids.  Thanks to my parents’ generosity, the whole extended clan would set sail together for a week of fun and bonding almost every year.  I hope to continue that tradition once my own grandchildren are old enough.

I share this background because it explains why I’ve been to Grand Cayman several times before today.  I’ve dived into its crystalline waters in a glass-walled submarine (a hot, claustrophobia-inducing experience that I would not care to repeat despite the magnificent sea life).  I’ve explored its reaches on a bike, I’ve sailed its waters on a boat, and I’ve driven its roadways on a bus.

Until today, however, I’d never seen it on a buzz.  (Despite the high proof content of today’s tour, I still haven’t, but the alliteration and Seussian repetition was too hard to pass up.) 

Because the tour didn’t start until noon, I came ashore an hour or so early and wandered around the capital, George Town, looking for interesting photos. 

George Town is both a popular cruise destination and a tender port.  Consequently, even in low season, several thousand tourists arrive at the tender pier all at once.  We were joined today by ships from Carnival and Celebrity, which made it difficult to find the Oceania tour meeting point.  Note to Oceania:  please provide more visible signage! 

Like many Caribbean cruise ports, George Town is saturated with souvenir shops, restaurants, bars, liquor stores, and especially, high-end jewelry and watch emporia,  It’s hard to believe there are enough wealthy wrists in the world to justify the number of establishments selling Rolexes, Tag Heuers, Breitlings, Tissots, Cartiers, Omegas, and Patek Phillipes.

There are also roosters and chickens bustling around as if they own the place.

On to the tour.  Having already seen most of the island’s highlights, I opted for an excursion that took in its most famous beverages and desserts.  Our first stop, Cayman Spirits Co., is a distillery hidden a couple of blocks off a main road. 

There, our exuberant and entertaining host, Athena, led us through tastings of several different rums, including an excellent coconut-flavored quaff, blackberry liqueur, and a scrumptious coffee liqueur.  (They also produce several gins, vodka, and a peanut-flavored whiskey.)   

I even got a couple of extra portions for answering a trivia question correctly, once again confirming that being a nerd has its benefits.  I recommend a visit to the distillery for anyone who enjoys a tasty tropical drink.

After leaving Cayman Spirits Co. – surprisingly unaffected by the bountiful samples –  we headed just down to the road to Tortuga Rum Co., a distiller/bakery known for its rum cakes.  I wasn’t impressed; I thought the cake was bland and too dense.  Nonetheless, as they say in the law biz, de gustibus non est disputandum – basically, there’s no accounting for taste – so don’t take my word for it, try it yourself if you’re so inclined.

Our final stop was Hell.  It’s a spot near the island’s western edge known for jaggedly eroded limestone rocks and a post office where you can get your passport stamped to show you’ve been to Hell and returned. 

The rock formations are indeed Mephistophelian –  they remind me of the twisted, spiky lava fields near Lake Mývatn in Iceland, though they are geologically unrelated.

We departed Grand Cayman in the late afternoon and are now en route to Miami.  I’ll get off the ship there on Saturday and head home.  Look for one more post about the trip, probably on Sunday, where I’ll sum things up, discuss my experience on Oceania, and offer my traditional post-trip thanks.