Grand Cayman Island Stay at the Ritz Carlton
The Cayman Islands are nicknamed “islands that time forgot” – I can promise – you may lose track of time, but rest assured you won’t forget your visit!
The slogan for this island should be “One friendly island” … I don’t think I have ever been someplace where EVERYONE is so friendly, happy, accommodating, helpful, nice, and just all-around delightful to be around. I mean this from the people who work in the airport, to the public bus drivers, to the servers in the restaurants, everyone is insanely nice! We were seriously walking around saying “How can people be so happy and friendly”.
Our getaway was a 4-night, 5-day escape for just my husband and me to celebrate his birthday. We stayed at the Ritz Carlton in an Ocean Front Club Level King Bedroom.
The Ritz Carlton is located on the beautiful Seven-Mile Beach and the accommodations are luxurious and wonderful! The ocean is as clear as glass! So, where to begin… Let’s start with the rooms and the Ocean Front View! There are no words to describe the Beauty!
OCEAN FRONT KING ROOM:
When you walk through the doors to your room, you won’t even notice the king size four poster bed, couch, table and chairs, liquor/coffee cabinet, large TV, dresser, or anything else; you will immediately be drawn to the sliding glass doors to the view of the crystal-clear ocean! We couldn’t get enough of that view! I wouldn’t call the room super spacious, but it has what you need, a couch to kick back & relax, king king-size bed to sleep in, a table & chairs to eat or have coffee, and a hutch/stand with coffee, coffee maker, etc. The balcony is just enough for the 2 chairs and table. We had our coffee out there every morning! The bathroom is VERY spacious with a double sink vanity, full walk-in shower, soaking tub, and separate space for the toilet. The bed was comfortable, and I have NO complaints about anything ☺
Club Level:
Club Level can be purchased while reserving your room or if availability allows, you can purchase Club Level during your stay (only if available). If you purchase during your stay, you can select the number of days/nights you want to purchase, as you don’t have to purchase for your entire stay. Please remember this is only if availability allows – they could be sold out during peak time.
I purchased club-level when booking my room/vacation, so I didn’t have to worry about anything other than relaxing once we arrived. Once we arrived, we were taken directly to the club for the check-in process. Once again, everyone was extremely friendly! They gave us drinks and food while completing the check-in process. They then personally walked us to our room. So, you’re going to ask: “Is it worth it”? So, the short answer is – it depends on what you’re looking for or expecting…
So, let’s get into our experience… The club lounge is usually open from 7 am – 10 pm and is located on the main level around the corner from the lobby. You have access to a dedicated concierge. They will book any experiences, spa appointments, reservations, etc. for you. We did not use this service. I booked our dinner reservations myself, and when we left the property, we didn’t make reservations – just let fait take its course ☺ In our everyday life we are on a schedule, I’m not a big schedule person while on vacation. We tend to ‘wing’ a lot while on vacation. This is my ONLY gripe – The club lounge is located in the lobby area it is a walk from where most rooms and the beach/pool are. When coming in from the beach pretty wet wrapped in a towel, you need to walk through most of the hotel to get to the club. They host many functions at the Ritz, and it was VERY awkward walking through the hotel past a big formal even in my wet bathing suit, cover up & towel to get some water & snacks. SO – that’s my ONLY ‘con’ of the club lounge.
For breakfast, lunch, and Dinner there are always 3 different sections/stations of food (pictured below). We ate breakfast in the club every morning we were there. It was delicious and different each morning. One day was eggs benedict with potatoes and more. Every morning there were yogurt, bagels, breads, pastries, etc. It was the main course that changed daily. Each item comes on a small plate or crock, but you can go up as many times as you would like. For lunch, we had sliders, cheese, and crackers, and always some cookies and other desserts. They always have coffee, soft drinks, water bottles, juice, etc. out at all times. Wine and beer get put out about 10-11 am and stay out till close. They will bring you other drinks and alcohol upon request. My husband is a big whisky guy & they brought out different types of whisky for him to try and sip/drink (on the rocks, as he likes it).
*One important note – On vacation, we are used to having Bloody Mary’s or Mimosa’s in the morning. There is a law in the Caymans where they can’t serve or sell alcohol before 10 am or 11 am & I believe it was 1 pm on Sundays. You can purchase alcohol at a store & make a drink yourself & consume before 10 am, however, they can’t serve it before those times.
On the topic of alcohol, as mentioned above, beer, wine, and other drinks upon request are included with the club, however, you must go to the club to physically get them. If you get a drink at the pool bar or lobby bar, that is not included as part of the club. Also, it is ‘supposed’ to be consumed in the club/lounge (you can take water bottles out). You can put it in 1 of their plastic cups & take it out, however I’m not sure that is advertised. With that being said, it’s a far walk from the beach. So, if you are planning to bring a drink out with you, you may need to bring a few so you don’t have to keep walking back in through the hotel (potentially wet if you’re coming out of the ocean/pool like we were).
After a day at the beach/pool, we would always stop back at the club/lounge and get water, and snacks to take it up to the room while we got ready for dinner.
Beach:
We spent the majority of our days in the Ocean or lounging by the ocean. We did go in the pool just to say we did, however for us, it was all about the beautiful ocean water! The ocean has a roped-off area in which you can swim, snorkel, stand, or wade around. They have different platforms, rings, and devices you can lay on/in while in the ocean. They are SUPER relaxing (once you pull yourself up on or into them ☺).
As you enter the beach from the main path from the pool, they have a stand/hut where they offer cups for water, they have large items of sunscreen, and small cups you can pump into. As you enter the beach, there is a large rack where you can leave your shoes. During normal beach hours, they have an individual who will carry towels and set your chairs up for you. These are regular lounge chairs that have a top you can pop up to keep covered from the sun (or leave it down). There are cabanas you can rent (this would be an additional fee) which would give you a bed-like experience on the beach. They are covered on the top. We opted for the regular lounge chairs. They were very comfortable and having the tops allowed for a great reading experience on the beach! It was also nice not to have to pack beach towels and bring them! The sunscreen they offered was very nice as well! I liked it better than the sunscreen I brought with us.
We would watch the sunsets from the beach every night! Absolutely Breathtaking!
*Helpful Hint* – Once the sets, The Mosquitoes on the beach are Horrible (see picture of my neck below – the bites were all over, but I just took a picture of my neck)! We would watch the sunset & run back in. My husband is always the one who gets the mosquito bites, here it was both of us! They attack & swarm. We didn’t have bug spray or anything, however, when we were there in October, I’m not sure that would have helped. This only happens once the sun sets & on the beach. In the evenings, when we walked inland, and were OK. My husband is the one who talked me into walking inland for dinner(s) and exercise (after dinner). I was hard NO – because I was afraid we would be ½ mile to a mile away from the hotel & get attacked by mosquitoes, however that was NOT the case & I’m very glad we took our walks!
In Town:
We took public transportation in town (George Town – George Town harbor). There is a bus stop directly out front of the hotel. You can either ask the hotel or bus driver to ensure that you are getting on the correct bus to George Town. There is a large bus depot or stop where they will drop you off (and where you will return to get a bus back to the hotel). We walked all over and saw the cruise ship’s port and did some shopping. We felt totally safe and once again everyone was extremely friendly!
The Cayman Islands are known for their great shopping of jewelry and high-end items. We are not big jewelry spenders, but I did look to see if something caught my eye, being these items are duty-free and tend to be a better price. I would rather take every dollar & book another vacation, so although we did see people purchasing items, we didn’t. I did buy a few sweatshirts, a Christmas ball, and things like that.
The town is adorable and fun to walk around. Lots of cute shops, restaurants, and of course the breathtaking view of the water!
There is a type of open-air market/shopping area that is fenced off for those arriving via a cruise ship. You need to show them your cruise
ID to enter the area. It appeared to be local vendors setting up tables, food, etc. Since we were not on a cruise, we couldn’t enter. I did try to pretend I didn’t read the sign to go in, but they were very polite and asked for our Cruise IDs and told us it was only for those on the cruises. I wish I had taken my pictures of the town, because it really was a beautiful area.
A FEW ADDITIONAL ITEMS TO NOTE:
Before heading to another country, I usually do some quick research. Some Do’s and Don’ts, some things to try, and some things to avoid, but I’ll admit, I’m busy working full-time, being a wife, mom, etc., and don’t always read the fine print. We didn’t check luggage; I crammed all my clothes, shoes, and toiletries in the carry-on luggage (the beauty of traveling where it’s warm, nothing is really bulky). So, when we were leaving the Cayman Islands, I packed my bag the way I came. I didn’t read their TSA rules, I “assumed” they were the
same as the US (all 3.4oz liquid/gel/aerosol/cream containers must fit inside a clear quart-size bag – 1 per passenger)… They are VERY much the same, however, they make you take your bag of liquids out of your luggage and put them separately through the scanner (at least this is what they did to ALL of us in line). I had a few things separated, they gave me a bag and made me fill it with everything and close it in front of them. There ended up being a travel-size hair spray I had to throw away because I couldn’t close the bag. This was happening to most people in line. So, although we have the same rules, they actually hand you the quart-size bag & make put EVERYTHING in there and run it separately. Here is a picture of when I got home and my items strategically
placed & bag sealed ☺ This was happening to most people in line, so please just beware when you leave, so you don’t have to throw things out like I did. I think I was able to fit something else lying horizontally across the top, but I took it out – I must have needed it quickly ☺
PLACE WE ATE:
Since we had the Club Level, we did eat every breakfast & lunch at the club. We ate a dinner or 2 at the club as well.
- Pane & Pasta – Located in the Camana Bay area. We walked to/from the hotel; It was about a mile. There were sidewalks (98% of the way). Everyone was extremely friendly and the food was good. For appetizers, we had Bruschetta & Arancini Siciliana (deep fried stuff risotto balls). For dinner, I’m a classic Chicken Parm girl (I seriously need to start trying other foods) and my husband got Lasagna. Both were very good! I do feel bad saying it, but I feel like the commercials on the TV hyped this place up a little much. But it still was very good!
- Seven – Located within the Ritz Carlton. Again, very friendly staff. So, quick side note – I want to love Red Wine! I like a few sips & I’m done. My husband won’t drink any other type of wine other than Red (usually Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon), so with that being said, they talked us into getting a bottle of wine (rather than a few glasses) – They asked what we were going to have for dinner, etc & recommended some Cabernet Sauvignon – Well, I wish I took a picture of the bottle. Still, it was probably the best wine I ever tasted. I’m seriously still kicking myself! For appetizers, we had “Charred Romaine (Caesar Salads). For dinner, we both had Filet Magana & went crazy on the sides ☺ We had Truffle Mac & Cheese, Chipotle Cream Corn, Creamed Spinach, and Roasted Garlic Yukon Gold Puree (mashed Potatoes). ALL was AMAZING! Excellent Steak, all sides were delicious & ohh the Wine! Highly recommend!
Last, but not least – Nightlife! We were there in October, which is not considered their ‘on-peak’ season and the sun beat me up each day, we did go and listen to the band (live music) 1 night at the bar off the lobby. Other than that, we went to our room & relaxed with a drink on the deck or watched TV. We usually participate and like doing things at night, however, this was a relaxing quick getaway!
AND… 2 More sunset pictures, because HONESTLY – It’s Breathtaking!!!!!!!
