A view of George Town Grand Cayman Island from the Disney Fantasy

George Town Grand Cayman Island

George Town Grand Cayman Island is a frequent cruise ship stop on tours of the western Caribbean. This stop was different than any other port of call in that large ships can not tie to the dock. The water is too shallow and there is coral. The ships anchor out in the harbor.

Sail boat in George Town Harbor

View of a beach near George Town Grand Cayman from the ship

A junket anchored at Grand Cayman Island

The Disney Fantasy hired local ferries to transport guests to and from George Town. An MSC cruise ship was also in harbor at the same time, but they were using their own life boats to ferry people. It seemed that the Disney method was far superior in that, except first thing in the morning, our wait was just a few minutes. There was a huge line in the hot sun and pavement for MSC passengers trying to get back to their ship.

A view of the Disney Fantasy as we were ferried to port. Notice the next ferry pulled alongside.

The water in the harbor is the clearest that I have seen anywhere! It was absolutely beautiful.

Shades of blue in the Caribbean Sea at Grand Cayman Island

Fish in the crystal clear water off Grand Cayman taken from our ferry boat

Grand Cayman Island is one the richest islands in the Caribbean. Tourism and banking are its two big draws. Walking through George Town you will see several statues which add more life to the setting of banks and office buildings.

Statue in George Town

Another statue in George Town banking district

Grand Cayman Island

People like the Prime Minister of Iceland, friends of Vladimir Putin, and Mexican drug lords keep their money here to avoid pesky taxes and legal oversight.

George Town Grand Cayman Island

George Town has interesting public art scattered throughout.

George Town is attractive and is quite popular with those who enjoy shopping for duty free goods such as jewelry and liquor. The town is quite small and is easy to walk. I recommend that you get out in the morning or evening, though, as there is very little shade and it can be hot.

Shopping on Grand Cayman Island

George Town Grand Cayman Island

Duty free shopping on Grand Cayman

To me, it seemed a lot like a town on the Florida coast and did not have as much Caribbean flare as most of the other port stops. George Town is still beautiful, has interesting sites, and I came upon no area in the town that felt seedy or unsafe.