A Grand Day on Grand Cayman

Our first port on our Caribbean cruise was beautiful Grand Cayman island, well known for its three “Bs”: banks, beaches, and beauty. What a gorgeous place and a gorgeous day to visit it! Our travel agency had put together a fabulous group excursion to tour the island and then spend the afternoon at the Stingray City sand bar.

I accompanied the group on the tour buses, where we got to visit the hamlet of “Hell,” perhaps one of the most misnamed towns on earth! Hell earned its name from the abundance of black lava formations that dot the landscape, but it’s also full of colorful palm trees, sweet sea grapes, and plenty of blue skies and shorelines. If this is Hell, I can’t wait to see paradise! We also visited the Tortuga rum factory, which some cruisers enjoyed more than others (wink, wink!). Even if rum wasn’t your cup of tea, so to speak, the stop provided some great photo ops which we took full advantage of.

Next, most of our group went to swim with the stingrays, which was a highlight reported by everyone. Some said the water was colder than they expected, others said the wind was choppier than they planned, but everyone agreed that petting the tame stingrays was much cooler than they ever dreamed. It truly is an experience that should be a must on everyone’s list if you’ve never done it!

Our next day was a stop in Cozumel, Mexico. It was a glorious sunny day that most spent shopping on the pier, relaxing on the sand, or touring the nearby ruins. As for me, I chose to stroll along the shops and explore the quaint downtown. It was a refreshing afternoon, but I was excited to hurry back to the ship to get ready for our group dinner. I love these activities! It’s a great chance to reconnect with everyone and hear about their cruising adventures. Even though our cruise ship was full of rambunctious college students on spring break, I’m sure our Consultant group was one of the most lively and noisy that restaurant has ever seen. We laughed and talked and moved from table to table so much I’m sure the servers thought we were playing musical chairs. … oh, and of course, the FOOD was fabulous, too!

Our final day was spent at sea—I love the at-sea days for their sheer relaxation and the chance to read, sleep, explore, visit, or do nothing at all! Of course, many Consultants cheered on their friends in our informal basketball game or watched their families play at the pool. That evening, we had a great closing reception with plenty of sunburned hugs and lots of photos. Cheers and thanks for a wonderful week—we’ll see all of you (and hopefully many more Consultants, too!) next spring on our “Epic Adventure”!