GEORGE TOWN, GRAND CAYMAN

Friday, May 28, 1999

8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

9 Hours - The Ship Will Tender

(All aboard 4:30 PM)

DINING OPTIONS

Dress suggestion for this evening:  FORMAL - Cocktail dresses for women; suits & ties, or tuxedoes for men.

(Guests are kindly requested not to wear Tank Tops and Shorts in the dining Room at Dinner)

Captain's Gala is the dinner theme.

ROOM SERVICE IS AVAILABLE 24 HOURS A DAY

A Brief History of Grand Cayman

            The Cayman Islands are a British Crown Colony, one of six remaining in the South Atlantic/Caribbean region.  Situated 150 miles south of Cuba and 180 miles west of Jamaica in the central Caribbean, the largest of the three Cayman Islands is Grand Cayman.  Her smaller sisters, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, are located some 90 miles northeast of Grand Cayman.  The three islands are situated on the edge of the Cayman Trench a 25,000 ft trough which is the deepest part of the Caribbean waters.  Above sea level the vegetation on the islands is rather scrub-like and there is little break in the topography.  However, the beaches are superb and Seven Mile Beach - which is actually only 5.6m long - on the west coast of Grand Cayman is justifiably world famous.  The diving to be found here is world class and the Caymans are quite rightly listed as one of the top diving destinations in the world.

            Christopher Columbus discovered the Cayman Islands on May 10, 1503, after crossing the Atlantic and the Caribbean in his fourth and last attempt to find the alternative route to Cathay (China).  The ships were en route from Panama to Hispaniola (the Dominican Republic) when they were blown well off their course.  With little food left on board, the crew decided to tack north in a last desperate attempt to reach land and came across Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.  The log entry written by Ferdinand Columbus, the Admiral's son, records ‘…we were in sight of two very small islands, full of tortoise (turtle), as was the sea about, in so much as they looked like little rocks'.  They named the islands 'Las Tortugas' - which is Spanish for tortoise.  A 1523 map named the islands 'Lagartos' which means large lizard, and by 1530 the name had changed yet again to 'Caymanas' which is the Carib Indian word for the marine crocodile.  By the time Sir Francis Drake arrived on the islands in 1586 the name 'Caymans' had stuck.  Cayman crocodiles were once prolific on the islands and - like the turtles - were also an important source of food.  The many years that ships were provisioned on the islands had a drastic effect on the turtle population and it is only in the last decade that serious attempts have been made to breed and protect the turtles.  The last of the Cayman crocodiles had vanished off Little Cayman by the beginning of this century, but the Cayman blue iguana though an endangered species, is still fairly prolific to this day.  In 1654, Oliver Cromwell sought to oust the Spanish from the Caribbean; Admiral Sir William Penn and General Robert Venebles launched an attack on Hispaniola with 7000 men.  After their defeat at St Domingo, the army then went on successfully to attack Jamaica.  Cromwell had entered the Caribbean not only to rid himself of the Royalist sympathizers, he had already thought to colonize both Jamaica and the Cayman Islands - and it was from these early volunteers that the first colonization of the Cayman islands took place.  The first recorded settlement was of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac between 1666 and 1671 whilst Sir Thomas Modyford was installed as Governor of Jamaica.

            On April 14, 1670 the Spanish successfully attacked the turtle station at Hudson's Hole (South Hole) on Little Cayman.  However, their glory was short-lived because the Treaty of Madrid in 1670 stated that Jamaica, and their dependency the Cayman Islands were ceded by Spain to the British Crown.  During the lawless years that followed, Grand Cayman became renowned as a pirate stronghold and the infamous Blackbeard (Edward Teach) stopped regularly for fresh water and provisions, as did other notorious pirates of that era such as Neal Walker and Henry Morgan.  They would have anchored their ships off Hogsty Bay on Grand Cayman or Stake Bay on Cayman Brac.  By 1713, peace reigned once more and by 1730 the last of the pirates and privateers were finally wiped out.  Stories of hidden treasure on the islands attracted even more settlers and adventurers who, by bringing their slaves and servants with them, contributed further to the already increasing population.

The first royal land grant signaling a permanent settlement on Grand Cayman, was recorded in 1734, covering land between Prospect and North Sound.  By the early 1770s there were 175 settlers registered on Grand Cayman - though none at all on Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.  A population census in 1802 stated that there were 545 slaves in a total population of 933.  The population gradually increased and, when slavery was outlawed in Britain in 1835, many of the slave ships were intercepted in Cayman waters and their human cargo released on to Grand Cayman.  Assimilation and inter-marriage soon followed with the end result of a happy mixture of people living in harmony.  The Cayman islands became a Crown Colony under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Jamaica.  When Jamaica gained her independence in 1962 the Cayman Islands opted to remain a British Crown Colony and have remained so ever since and there is a still a sense of British tradition on the islands. 

The history of the Caymans’ tax free status dates back to February 8, 1794 when the lead ship of a group of ten merchant traders was blown onto the treacherous reefs and shoals at Gun Bay off the east end of Grand Cayman.  All ten ships were wrecked but the Caymanians rallied together and managed to save every single passenger and crew member.  King George III of England was so grateful to the islanders, and so impressed by their bravery, that he granted them freedom from taxation in perpetuity.

            The Cayman Islands still enjoy this tax free status and have become one of the world's leading offshore financial centers and the world's largest island banking location boasting 560 licensed A and B class banks, 380 insurance companies and 31,612 registered corporations (making it the fifth largest financial center worldwide).  This successful offshore financial industry dates back to 1966 when the first banking and trust laws were passed.  At one time the number of registered companies and corporations out numbered the population.  The financial gain from these institutions has helped fund the construction of hotels, condominiums, tourism infrastructure and diving facilities.

            The Caymans' central position in the Caribbean has also been instrumental in their popularity as a cop-over point for travelers, particularly those attracted by the tax free shopping.  Several cruise ships dock each week just outside the capital of George Town and disgorge tourists by the hundreds to snap up luxury duty-free items and other goods.

            Most of the tourism and financial activity is centered around the capital George Town.  Seven Mile Beach along West Side has the largest concentration of hotels, restaurants and condominiums.  There are also many smaller guest houses situated all over Grand Cayman as well as on her sister islands. 

Wreck of the Ten Sails

            Through detailed research by Dr Margaret Leshikar Denton and he Cayman Islands National Museum, more of the story about the wreck of the Ten Sails has come to light.

            On February 8, 1794, and not November 1788 as originally thought, ten merchant vessels ran aground off the treacherous reefs in Grand Cayman’s East End.  Led by HMS Convert and captained by William Martin, the lead ship hit the reef and fired a cannon as a signal to warn the others following.  Unfortunately the other vessels mistook the signal as a warning that they were being attacked by pirates and hastily sped to their impending doom.  En route to England via Jamaica with 58 ships in all, six of the ships were wrecked but four were eventually able to be salvaged and continued on their way to England.  Most of the cannon from the remaining wrecked ships were eventually salvaged and sent to England as scrap.  The area is now known as Gun Bay.

            Not all of the ships' names were discovered but the ten included HMS Convert, the Cordelia, Dean, Ramanoff, Skudland, El Rica, Florence and HMS Caradosa.  Contrary to enduring belief and popular legend, the convoy of ships did not carry Prince William, the future King William IV, or in fact any member of the royal family.

            The daring rescue and salvage by the local Caymanians so impressed King George III, that he granted the Islands freedom from taxation in perpetuity.  At the time, America and England were still estranged after America declared independence on July 4, 1766.  George Washington became America’s first President in 1789 and he was still in office when the ten unfortunate ships hit the reef off Grand Cayman.  Smarting from the loss of the ‘colonies’, when Britain was ousted in 1783, it is more than likely that King George was still ‘hedging his bets’ in the Caribbean.  Once America became the ‘United States’ after the Treaty of Paris was drawn up establishing the US boundaries, he was making certain that the central Caribbean Islands would remain loyal to the throne.

            Grand Cayman is the largest of the three islands and is 22 miles in length, and between 4-8 miles wide, with an area of 122sq miles, and lies some 490 miles southwest of Miami.  Grand Cayman only rises above the waters some 40ft at its highest point and was virtually destroyed in a terrible hurricane back in 1932.  More recently, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 also took its toll.  There is no direct run-off, so any rain drains in towards its center and filters through the old coral limestone before eventually seeping back out into the sea.

            The total Cayman population was estimated in 1993 at 31,200, with the population of Grand Cayman accounting for more than 90 per cent of the total.  Of these, expatriates numbered about 8600, less than a third of the total population.  George Town is the most heavily populated district in Grand Cayman, with approximately 13,500 residents.  For the Cayman Island as a whole, West Bay, Bodden Town, Cayman Brac, East End, North Side and Little Cayman rank in that order by population.

Stingray City

Grand Cayman is home to a legendary dive location - Stingray City, quite possibly one of the most popular and spectacular dive locations in the world.  Dubbed as the world's greatest 12 foot dives' it is located inside the barrier reef along the Northshore of Grand Cayman Island where the waters are virtually always sheltered and calm.  The stingrays are the southern stingrays (Dasyatis Americana) and there are approximately 250 of the creatures, which swoop in and envelop you in their search for a free meal.  Stingray City and its counterpart, the Sandbar, have been featured in National Geographic and promoted throughout the world in film, video and magazine articles.

            The Sandbar on the eastern side of the deeper channel is much shallower.  On the main sandbar, the white sands of the inner lagoon shelve up to only 3ft in some parts, making this site the preferred location for children and snorkeling.  You can also dive this area again and again, the dive is in only 13ft.

            As you can imagine, this area is extremely popular with charter boats and care must be taken whilst in the water in not being run over by a boat, not rising too quickly under a dive boat and making certain that you swim back to the same dive boat you came out on!

            Local fishermen used to come to these sheltered waters inside the fringing reef of North Sound to clean all the fish they had caught before sailing into market.  The Stingrays, being bottom feeders, were soon attracted to this additional source of a free meal.  Over the years, the number of rays has increased and they appear to be totally unafraid of humans.

            The surge of excitement is incredible as these trusting beasts zoom in on you from the outer reef and envelop you in their 'wings'.  The dive guides accompanying you tend to handle the food (frozen squid) in a sealed container and feed the stingrays individually.

            If you are given the chance of feeding the stingrays, hold the squid in the palm of your hand.  The sensation is similar to feeding a horse - underwater.  The mouth-parts of the stingray are located underneath the body: they do not have teeth as such, but have a series of rasping plates with which they crush and grind the molluscs and crustaceans which are their normal food.

            This dive becomes very much like a feeding frenzy, the water visibility drops and once the food has all been eaten, the stingrays get bored with our antics and either go off in search of other diver/feeding groups or return to their normal foraging on the sand flats.

            You must wear a protective suit of some kind to avoid the stingrays giving you a nasty suck (something like a 'love-bite' or 'hicky')  Gloves should not be worn as the fabric can remove the protective mucus on the stingrays' leathery skin.  If this protective mucus is removed infection can quickly set in, and disease and death may follow.  When handling the stingrays, do not try and ride them or grab them by the tail.  Remember, these are wild animals and if they feel threatened in any way, their defensive mechanism is designed to sting, just as their name implies.

            Some of the best photographs can be taken of these creatures immediately after the feeding session.  The stingrays are quite docile and they can be approached and observed feeding naturally.  They settle on the seabed and nap their 'wings' in a downward motion in order to remove the top layers of sand to expose marine molluscs, crustaceans and worms.

Stingray City and the Sandbar are amazing, and simply nothing can prepare you for that first rush of adrenaline.  This balance of nature and enterprise is a curious mix and experiencing it at first hand is a rare treat.  Several hundred thousand tourists have already enjoyed the delights of the interaction, and there is no reason to doubt that many more will continue to do so for many years to come.

Cayman Turtle Farm

            The Cayman Islands flag, official seal and currency all depict the Turtle.  Originally called Las Tortugas by the explorer Christopher Columbus the islands were named after the large numbers of turtles found on land and in the water and it was the turtle which brought back sailors to these enchanting islands.  The turtle was an important food supplement to the mariners' diet, because the animals could be kept alive as an important additional source of food to stave off the ravages of scurvy.

            Over the centuries the world’s oceans have been depleted of many species of turtle and all are on the international endangered species list.  The Cayman Islands' population suffered greatly, but fortunately the tide has now turned for these aquatic giants.  The Turtle Farm on Grand Cayman was originally set up in 1968 by a private company, Mariculture Ltd in a tidal creek along North Sound.  The venture was somewhat of a gamble because there was no statistical information on breeding turtles in captivity.  By trial and error and refining techniques, the project has enjoyed amazing success.

            In the very early stages breeding stock and eggs had to be collected from the wild.  It was agreed by the conservation authorities of several countries that eggs could only be collected from nests found below the tide line, where the eggs would have no chance of hatching.  Gradually the collection grew from sources as far away as Surinam, Costa Rica and Ascension bland.

            The farm moved to its present location in West Bay in 1971 and by 1978 had achieved its objective of having sufficient breeding stock to make the farm self-sufficient and financially viable.  There are now approximately 350 turtles in the breeding stock selected from creatures caught in the wild, eggs collected in the wild and raised on the farm and increasingly, from eggs laid incubated and hatched from the farm's own stock.

            When the eggs are laid in the farm' s enclosure, about 30 days after mating, they are collected and placed in an incubator.  At 82"F there will be an equal proportion of male and females hatched.  Any cooler and only males would emerge, any higher and only females would be born.  The baby turtles hatch after 60 days and are transferred to special tanks and fed on a specially formulated diet.

            This is the only commercial turtle farm in the world and 8000 turtles are reared each year for its commercial commitments and products.  A number are specially selected from wild egg stock to enhance the breeding program.  So far, around 30,000 have been released into the wild.  All of these animals have been tagged for scientific and recognition purposes.  Constant monitoring of the turtles has found that some of the Cayman-released turtles have been found in Mexico, Honduras, Cuba and Venezuela.

The turtle most favored in the commercial program is the green turtle (Chelonia mydas).  There are also hawksbill and loggerhead turtles at the farm, but one of their breeding successes is of the Kemp's Ridby turtle (Lepidochelys kempi) which is the smallest of the turtles in their program and they are the world's most endangered sea turtle.  The first hatchlings were born in 1968.  They are raised to be released into the wild and as the nucleus for a future captive breeding program to ensure that they do not become extinct.

            The Cayman Turtle Farm has been owned and operated by the Cayman Government since 1983.  They also support post-graduate research and their researchers now supply the international community with scientific information.  Although the farm is one of the Cayman's major tourist attractions, it is also a scientific research station with a very high reputation concentrating on research and breeding programs to cast more light on and to help re-colonize our oceans with the once common sea turtle.

            This shift in the farm's emphasis from breeding stock for commercial uses to scientific work was forced upon them by the decision of the USA in 1978 to adhere to the CITES convention and ban all turtle products.  This included the banning of any turtle products being shipped through US ports resulted in the farm losing 80% of its markets overnight.

            The farm is still hoping for a change in the regulations, based on their argument that the interests of the green sea turtle are best served if the commercial markets are catered to by farmed animals, as this would relinquish the need to hunt them in the wild.

            As part of the farm's other tourist attractions, you can find representatives of most of the Island's indigenous flora and fauna including butterflies, the rare Cayman parrot, Cayman crocodile and iguanas.  The Turtle Farm is open seven days a week, 8:30- 5:00.

Excursions Available In Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman Highlights And Turtle Farm

2 hours, $26 Adult / $21 Child

Times:  8:00 AM & 11:30 AM

After joining your driver/guide on the George Town landing, your bus will wind its way through the charming town of George Town, the capital of the Cayman Islands. Stops along the tour include the Conch Shell House, constructed entirely of the trumpet shells of the mollusk, and the town of Hell, named for its unusual rock formations. Visit the Turtle Farm, a sea turtle nursery where green and Hawksbill turtles are bred and raised. Continuing down Seven Mile Beach, a stop will be made along a sandy stretch for a complimentary fruit punch.

Stingray City And Island Tour

3 hours, $45

Times:  8:30 AM & 12:30 PM

Enjoy a combination tour including world-famous Stingray City and a drive to some of the highlights on Grand Cayman. View what National Geographic describes as "one of the most rewarding experiences in the undersea world" from a semi-submersible. Watch through clear glass windows as divers feed dozens of stingrays. Then re-board your mini-bus for the short drive to the Cayman Turtle Farm, the only commercial sea turtle nursery in the world. Before returning to George Town, a stop will be made at the town of Hell where you can view the unusual rock formations.

Grand Cayman Snorkeling

2 ½ hours, $27

Times:  8:00 AM, 11:30 AM & 2:00 PM

This snorkeling tour offers one of the finest Caribbean underwater experiences around. A custom dive boat will pick you up directly at the cruise ship landing and transport you to an historic shipwreck. The next stop will be at a beautiful coral reef formation with an abundance of marine life that Cayman is famous for. Mask, fins, snorkel and instructions are provided.

Stingray City Snorkeling

3 hours, $31

Time:  8:00 AM, 11:45 AM & 12:15 PM

Experience a once-in-a-lifetime adventure-snorkeling with stingrays! After a short drive you will join your snorkeling boat for the trip out to Stingray City Sandbar. En route your instructor will give you a briefing on the equipment, safety tips and details about the stingrays. You will have approximately one hour to become acquainted with the friendly Southern Stingrays, which will glide among the swimmers, giving you an opportunity to touch their satin-like wings. Stingrays' favorite food is squid, and you can try your hand at feeding them. The sandbar is located in shallow water, making the trip perfect for first-time and experienced snorkelers.

After a leisurely cruise back to the dock, buses will take you back to the George Town landing.

Grand Cayman Scuba Tour

4 hours, $99 with equipment, $75 without equipment

(Minimum Age:  12 years old)

Time:  8:00 AM

This tour is limited to certified divers who have been on a dive within the last three years. You will be required to have proof of certification.

To experience the ultimate in Cayman diving, your first dive will be along the famous Cayman Wall, where you will see huge coral formations and vivid marine life.

Your second dive will be on a coral reef or one of the shipwrecks along Seven Mile Beach. At either spot you'll enjoy crystal-clear water and colorful fish. This is an experience certified divers won't want to miss. (Tank and weight belt are included in the price.)

Grand Cayman Snuba Adventure

1 ½ hours, $46 Adult  (Minimum Age:  10 years old)

Time:  10:30 AM

Finally, there is a way to enjoy the underwater breathing experience of scuba diving with the ease and simplicity of snorkeling.  It's called "Snuba," and it's perfect for those who enjoy snorkeling but are not ready for scuba diving.

After a short drive to a local dive shop located along Seven Mile Beach, you'll have an orientation of Snuba.  With your experienced instructor, you'll then enter the water from the beach where you'll become familiar and comfortable with the breathing equipment.  Then enjoy approximately 20 minutes under the crystal clear Caymanian waters exploring a beautiful reef.  At the conclusion of your water experience, transportation will be available to take you back to the tender pier.

Atlantis Submarine

1 ½ hours [40 minute dive], $72 Adult / $36 Child

Times:  9:00 AM & 10:00 AM

Experience the amazing underwater wonders of the famous Cayman Wall on board the ultra-modern 46-passenger Atlantis XI Submarine. You will cruise in air-conditioned comfort to a depth of 100 feet through colorful coral canyons with amazing sponge formations and a rich diversity of marine life. An automatic fish feeder periodically releases food for exciting fish action right outside your large view port. It's a great photo opportunity, so bring your video or camera.

Research Submarine - The Ultimate Wall Dive

1 ½ hours [50 minute dive], $345

Times:  9:30 AM, 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM & 2:00 PM

Imagine exploring the legendary Cayman Wall on board a sophisticated research submarine 800 feet below the sea! Cayman is the only place in the world that the general public can experience this ultimate underwater adventure.

Each excursion is very personalized with only two passengers and one highly skilled pilot. You'll sit in front of a large 3-foot-diameter view port that is your window into this rarely seen world. Powerful lights illuminate the brilliant colors of the sponge belt at 400 feet. Down even deeper, unusual marine animals and delicate coral can be sighted. Perhaps you will visit the wreck of the Kirk Pride resting firmly on a ledge at 800 feet.

Sign up early as the tour is very limited.

Seaworld Explorer Semi-Sub

1 hour, $31 Adult / $20 Child

Times:  9:30 AM, 10:30 AM, 11:30 AM, & 1:30 PM

Experience the magic of the Cayman waters in total comfort from four feet below the surface. This unique air-conditioned craft allows you to glide over some of Grand Cayman's most famous underwater sites. Look out clear glass windows as you float over a maze of exotic reefs and colorful marine life.

View the wreck of the Cali and the Balboa. On Cheeseburger Reef, watch in amazement as a diver feeds dozens of tropical fish. Throughout your trip a narrator will describe the marine life and history of the Cayman reefs.

Glass-Bottom Boat Tour

1 hours, $24 Adult / $18 Child

Time:  11:00 AM

View underwater sights such as Soto's Reef and the wreck of the Cali on this tour. The viewing area consists of 500 square feet of glass bottom.

During the tour, the dive master will explain the sights, and he'll go below to feed the fish while you watch from above.

Rum Point Beach Adventure

5 hours, $38 Adult / $32 Child

Time:  8:00 AM

Get away from it all and enjoy a great island-style day out at the Rum Point Club, situated on the picturesque north side of the island.

Transportation will be available to take you to the Rum Pointer Ferry. A 40-minute cruise across the North Sound brings you to Rum Point. Here, the crystal clear shallow water is perfect for swimming, or you can just laze around on the sandy beach. During the day you'll enjoy a delicious island-style lunch including tea or coffee at tables on the beach.

After 2 ½ hours of beach time, re-board the ferry for the return trip to your bus and the tender pier.

Seven Mile Beach Break

$14 Adult / $10 Child

Time:  At

Take a break and relax on the beautiful, world-famous Seven-Mile Beach, located Approximately 3 miles from George Town. Included in your package is use of the facilities at a Seven Mile Beach hotel, one beverage and a lounge chair. Enjoy the sandy beach and crystal-clear turquoise water.

Guests arrange their own transportation ($3 per person for a taxi ride each way), enabling you to enjoy the beach at your leisure.

Grand Cayman FlightSeeing Exploration

1 hour [approx. 25 minute flight], $64

Time:  1:00 PM

Experience Grand Cayman from a new perspective. This flightseeing adventure shows you the beauty of the island from a twin engine DeHavilland Otter VistaLiner aircraft. From your individual headset the two-pilot crew will entertain and inform you while enjoying a trip back in time as you relive the days of the early buccaneers. You'll fly over the many shipwrecks that dwell forever on the island's treacherous coral reefs. You'll see the jagged black limestone formations known as "Hell," the national landmark of Pedro St. James Castle, and the world famous Seven Mile Beach. Pass over the island's turtle farm, home to more than 12,000 green sea turtles, and the equally impressive String Ray City, where large concentrations of these graceful fish swim among snorkelers. Have your camera ready for a bird's-eye view of your ship at anchor.

Golf Ahoy!  At Links of Safehaven

$100 - $118

Time:  7:45 AM

Designed by Roy Case, Safehaven has a distinctive look reminiscent of coastal courses. Manicured grass areas are dramatically defined against the natural ground cover. The 6,500-yard, par-71 course will be a true test for any golfer when the trade winds are blowing. Your transportation, greens fees and shared golf cart are included.