Cruises to George Town, Grand Cayman

If you always like to seek out some local history when traveling, take a visit to Pedro St. James “Castle.” It’s famous for being called the birthplace of democracy in the Cayman Islands since it’s where the residents of the Cayman Islands gathered in 1831 to elect the Caymans’ first legislative assembly. Though it’s called a castle, it’s really more of a mansion that dates back to 1780, making it Grand Cayman’s oldest stone structure. You can visit it during a Grand Cayman cruise and tour the inside as well as take a stroll around its manicured gardens and get a view of Great Pedro Bluff. We think the artistic angle of it also makes it worth visiting, since the architecture is not what you’d likely expect from a Caribbean mansion that dates back hundreds of years. The shore excursions we offer to Pedro St. James have a knowledgeable guide who can tell you more about the design story of the house and the history of the artwork and furnishings found in it since it is still decorated as it would have been during colonial times.

We love a good beach, which is why so many shore excursions will take you to Seven Mile Beach during your cruise to George Town. It is located on the western edge of Grand Cayman, making it ideal for all your beach-going dreams, whether that’s lounging in the noonday sun or watching the sky change colors as the sun sets. Seven Mile Beach is located on a coral sand strip of land that actually is five and a half miles long, but who’s counting when you can instead be counting the number of pineapples in your pina colada or the number of fish you see while snorkeling in the stunningly clear water off its shore?

Get off the beaten path and let us take you to Crystal Caves, a fascinating part of Cayman Islands that is located underground. You’ll enter the caves with an expert guide who will tell you all about the geological history of the caves and how its main attractions – the stalactite and stalagmite crystal formations – are formed. In addition to the rock walls you’d expect in a cave, you’ll also see tropical vegetation in the forest surrounding the entrance to the cave.

In Grand Cayman you don’t just get the chance to see a stingray on a snorkeling excursion. Instead, we can take you to visit Stingray City during Grand Cayman cruises, where you will see stingrays all around you and get the chance to mingle with them in the shallow waters of Grand Cayman’s North Sound. Decades ago, stingrays started coming to this bay after they figured out they could get the leftover fish trimmings from local fishermen boats (smart stingray) and they’ve stuck around, though these days it's mostly because they get treats from tourists. You can only get to Stingray City with a guide, who will teach you how to interact with the stingray and what is ok to feed them. This is the top attraction on the Cayman Islands and the most popular shore excursions for it will fill up fast so be sure to reserve your spot on one right after booking a cruise to Grand Cayman (we make it easy for you to do, so online before you cruise since you’ll have your own account that you can browse shore excursions through and reserve your favorites before you board the ship.)

Sea turtles are some of the most coveted animals to see in the ocean, but they can be elusive. If seeing a sea turtle in action is a dream of yours, we want to make sure you know about the Cayman Turtle Centre, a special place to visit near George Town that rehabilitates turtles and has a special breeding program. That’s right, show up here at the right time and you can see adorable baby turtles. You can also don some snorkel gear and hop into the onsite lagoon to swim alongside these gorgeous creatures. While at the Cayman Turtle Centre you can learn about conservation efforts for sea turtles and learn more about the five species of green sea turtles that call the center home as well as visit the other exhibits that are home to a saltwater crocodile, nurse sharks, an aviary center, and a butterfly garden.