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FAQ's
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Will we be driving on
the same side of the
road as in the USA? |
No, in the Cayman
Islands you'll be
driving on the left side
of the road -- like in
Britain, Japan, India,
Jamaica, etc. It won't
take long to get used
to, especially if you
rent a non-US car,
equipped with right-hand
steering. Overtaking is
safer, and it's more
difficult to forget
which side of the road
to drive on. Entering
and exiting parking lots
is really all that'll
take a little
concentration -- just
remember to stay to the
left! |
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Is there a speed
limit in the Cayman
Islands, are seat
belts required? |
Yes, there are
varying speed limits
posted, and we'd caution
you not to exceed them
by more than 10 mph --
if you're caught, it can
be quite costly. This
applies as well to seat
belts (up to a CI$500
fine), which were made
compulsory in 1998. Although the
speedometer in many
rental cars may be in
kilometres-per-hour,
posted speed limits are
all in miles-per-hour,
and you'd multiply by
".6" (e.g., 50 kmh is
about 30 mph). |
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Is insurance coverage
mandatory when
renting a car?
How much does
Avis charge? |
No, it can be
waived, but we suggest
doing so only if you
have alternate
protection. Many credit
cards (e.g. Visa Gold
Card), when used for
payment of the rental
car, do provide
automatic insurance
coverage, and your
insurance policy back
home may also be valid.
But, if you do opt for
insurance with Avis --
decided upon when you
pick up the car, and
paid directly to Avis --
Public Liability (LDC)
is available seperately,
as is Collision (CDW).
You can opt for one-way,
two-way, or none.
Current insurance
coverage rates are
available at the Avis
Grand Cayman website,
listed according to car
class. |
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Are there areas in
Cayman to be avoided by
a single, female
traveler? |
Along with Cuba, the
Cayman Islands is
probably the safest
tourist destination in
the Caribbean, with
crimes against visitors
extremely rare. You can
feel secure walking
alone anywhere, anytime
of day or night. Which
isn't to say that we'd
leave a camera or a cell
phone exposed in our
car. There's no sense
tempting anyone
needlessly, so we do
encourage guests to
leave their car and
apartment locked when
not in them. |
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Are stores and
supermarkets
in Cayman open late and
on weekends? |
Stores are generally
open from about 9:00am
to 5:00 or 6:00pm, six
days a week, although
some close about 1:00pm
on Saturday. The
supermarkets keep longer
hours, and are open from
7:00am to 11:00pm,
Monday to Saturday.
Except for restaurants,
gas stations (which
often include a
convenience store), and
a number of shops
catering to cruiseship
passengers, most
businesses and all
supermarkets are closed
on Sunday. |
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Can we buy wine
and beer at the supermarket? |
No. Beer, wine and
spirits are sold at
licensed liquor stores,
privately owned and
located throughout Grand
Cayman. They're closed
on Sunday, but open
generally from 10:00am
to 7:00pm, Monday to
Saturday. However,
alcoholic beverages are
sold at restaurants and
hotels, seven days a
week. |
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We've heard that
Cayman restaurants are
quite pricey -- is this
true? |
Like restaurants
throughout the
Caribbean, they tend to
be more expensive than
in North America. But
Grand Cayman boasts a
very broad selection of
dining spots, including
many reasonably-priced
ones, so it is possible
to dine out on a budget. One
could manage two to
three meals a day quite
comfortably on as low as
CI$35-40 (about US$45),
including gratuity, but
excluding booze. See
"Island Dining" (far
left) |
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What is the
standard tipping
practice in Cayman
restaurants? |
Many restaurants
will automatically add
15% to your bill as
gratuity, which is the
going rate. Of course,
you're encouraged to
leave more if the
service is particularly
efficient and pleasant.
Before leaving a tip,
make sure that it's not
already included.
Tipping policy is
usually posted on the
menu, and on the bill
itself. If you don't see
it, just ask! And,
if paying in CI$, make
sure that you don't pay
the often posted (and
higher) US$ total! |
What and
when is
Pirates
Week? |
Pirates Week is a
multi-day, annual
festival with fireworks,
street dancing, heritage
days, a pirate ship
landing, golf
tournaments, childrens
activities, and many
other events. It's now
scheduled towards the
beginning of November,
and lasts about ten
days. For more details
about the next festival,
please visit their
website at www.piratesweekfestival.com. |
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Are there
nude beaches on Grand
Cayman? |
Topless and nude
bathing is illegal in
the Cayman Islands, as
in other British
colonies like Bermuda,
Turks and Caicos, Virgin
Islands, etc.
Nevertheless, there are
a number of secluded
beaches in less
developed parts of the
island where people have
gotten away with it. |
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Are there
casinos in Cayman? |
No, there are no
casinos in the Cayman
Islands, and no
legalised form of
gambling. If you're into
casinos while on holiday
in the Caribbean, you
might want to consider
the Bahamas, St. Maarten
(the Dutch-ruled half of
St. Martin), Turks and
Caicos, etc. |
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What about
beauty spas? |
Yes, there are
several of them. For a
list of names, location,
services offered and
phone numbers, just
click on Beauty
Spas. |
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