Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
to 90% of passengers ar e fr om N orth America, ther e's usually a
healthy percentage from Europe and South America as well.
•
Holland America Line
(
&
800/426-0327;
www.hollandamerica.
com): H olland America offers the most O ld World-style cr uise
experience of the mainstr eam lines, aboar d a fleet of r espectably
hefty and good-looking ships. The cruise line provides solid value,
with few jolts or surprises, and attracts a solid, w ell-grounded cli-
entele of primarily older travelers (so late-night revelers and serious
partiers might want to book cr uises on other lines, such as Carni-
val). The 7-day and 10- to 14-day cruises stop at deep-water main-
stream por ts thr oughout the Caribbean, including K ey West,
Grand Cayman, St. Martin, St. Lucia, Curaçao, Barbados, and St.
Thomas. Although younger faces are starting to pepper the mix in
greater numbers, most HAL passengers still tend to be lo w-key,
fairly sedentary 55-plus N orth American couples. O nly about 30
or 40 people per cruise will be traveling solo.
Getting into Town from the Cruise Ship
Terminal
Cruise ships anchor off George Town and then ferry passengers to the
terminals along Harbour Drive, which is in the heart of the shopping
and sightseeing attractions. The waters ar e often choppy her e, so
anticipate a r ough ride. The Grand Cayman tourist office dispenses
information from a little kiosk at the pier when cr uise ships arriv e.
Taxis line up to meet arriving passengers. I f you need to call home,
there's a phone center accepting cr edit cards nearby along S hedden
Road.
GETTING AROUND
This section includes information on getting around Grand Cayman,
the largest island in the Cayman I slands. For information on getting
around on Little Cayman and Cayman B rac, see p. 173 and p . 156,
respectively.
By Car
Is it necessar y to r ent a car on G rand Cayman? I t depends. I f y ou
want to explore the island, you can do so on a far less expensive orga-
nized tour. M any visitors pr efer to settle into their hotels at S even
Mile Beach for the duration of their visit, perhaps taking one tour or
venturing into G eorge Town for a shopping expedition. I f y ou fall
into this categor y, you can easily depend on buses or taxis and sav e
yourself the hassle and expense of a r enting a car . However, if y ou
wish to explore the island and don't want to depend on taxis, a rental
car is an excellent idea.
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