Carnival Vista 2019 7-Day Caribbean Cruise Review
Day 5 May 22, 2019 Grand Cayman
Scheduled Arrival: 7:00AM Scheduled Departure: 3:00pm (last water shuttle was scheduled for 2:15pm)
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Day 5 May 22, 2019 Grand Cayman
Scheduled Arrival: 7:00AM Scheduled Departure: 3:00pm (last water shuttle was scheduled for 2:15pm)
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Breakfast:
Today's breakfast was scheduled for earlier because of the ship's early arrival in Grand Cayman. Our ship's anchor time was scheduled for 7:00am and the water shuttles to go ashore were scheduled to begin at 7:15am. We were doing an early shore excursion and had to meet in the Liquid Lounge by 7:15am in order to be on the first water shuttle that departed the ship. Today the Lido Marketplace was serving breakfast from 6:30am until 12:00pm. The Horizons Dining Room was serving a port of call day breakfast from 7:00am until 9:00pm. A continental breakfast was available in the Ocean Plaza from 7:00am until 9:00am. On the Lido Deck, the Blue Iguana Cantina was also open and served breakfast from 7:00am until 10:30am.
The buffet was crowded, but not as bad as the day before when people were eating early to get off for Montego Bay. Here are some pictures of the day's breakfast buffet that was served in the Lido Marketplace:
Today's breakfast was scheduled for earlier because of the ship's early arrival in Grand Cayman. Our ship's anchor time was scheduled for 7:00am and the water shuttles to go ashore were scheduled to begin at 7:15am. We were doing an early shore excursion and had to meet in the Liquid Lounge by 7:15am in order to be on the first water shuttle that departed the ship. Today the Lido Marketplace was serving breakfast from 6:30am until 12:00pm. The Horizons Dining Room was serving a port of call day breakfast from 7:00am until 9:00pm. A continental breakfast was available in the Ocean Plaza from 7:00am until 9:00am. On the Lido Deck, the Blue Iguana Cantina was also open and served breakfast from 7:00am until 10:30am.
The buffet was crowded, but not as bad as the day before when people were eating early to get off for Montego Bay. Here are some pictures of the day's breakfast buffet that was served in the Lido Marketplace:
Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Main Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Continental Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Continental Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Continental Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Continental Breakfast Buffet Line
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Lido Marketplace Continental Breakfast Buffet Line
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After breakfast I looked at the time and saw we still had about 25 minutes before needing to be in the Liquid Lounge's shore excursion meeting point. I walked outside to watch our arrival in Grand Cayman.
Looking Down At the Lido AFT Pool From Deck 11
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Deck 12
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Carnival Paradise Anchored Already At Grand Cayman
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Arriving in Grand Cayman:
Our ship was scheduled to anchor off the coast of Georgetown, Grand Cayman around 7:00am. This port does not have a pier because of environmental concerns surrounding coral reefs. Due to not having a pier, in order for guests & crew to go ashore a water shuttle must be taken. A water shuttle is essentially a ship that meets the cruise ship that has anchored off the coast and loads the guests from the ocean. The water shuttle then transports the guests ashore. The water shuttle ride from the ship to shore in Grand Cayman is about 5-7 minutes. Please note, the term "water shuttle" replaced the use of the word "tender". Carnival decided to stop calling the boats that transported people "tenders". There may still be times I use these terms interchangeably because they mean the same thing.
As I watched our arrival I saw the Carnival Paradise in the distance. The ship was already anchored and passengers were going ashore on the water shuttles. Although I have never cruised on the Carnival Paradise, I have seen it docked in Cozumel several years ago. In 2018 the ship was upgraded in dry-dock to receive Carnival's WaterWorks, new balconies, and several renovations. It was great seeing this ship again and in its refreshed state!
Our ship was scheduled to anchor off the coast of Georgetown, Grand Cayman around 7:00am. This port does not have a pier because of environmental concerns surrounding coral reefs. Due to not having a pier, in order for guests & crew to go ashore a water shuttle must be taken. A water shuttle is essentially a ship that meets the cruise ship that has anchored off the coast and loads the guests from the ocean. The water shuttle then transports the guests ashore. The water shuttle ride from the ship to shore in Grand Cayman is about 5-7 minutes. Please note, the term "water shuttle" replaced the use of the word "tender". Carnival decided to stop calling the boats that transported people "tenders". There may still be times I use these terms interchangeably because they mean the same thing.
As I watched our arrival I saw the Carnival Paradise in the distance. The ship was already anchored and passengers were going ashore on the water shuttles. Although I have never cruised on the Carnival Paradise, I have seen it docked in Cozumel several years ago. In 2018 the ship was upgraded in dry-dock to receive Carnival's WaterWorks, new balconies, and several renovations. It was great seeing this ship again and in its refreshed state!
View From Deck 9 As We Slowly Approached Grand Cayman
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Carnival Paradise
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Zoomed In View Of Georgetown, Grand Cayman
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The scheduled anchor time of 7am must have been met because shortly after 7:00am the water shuttles began to make their way towards the Carnival Vista. After looking at the time I realized we needed to get our stuff together to be in the Liquid Lounge by 7:15am.
View From Deck 9
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View From Deck 9 - Tender Boat Approached The Ship
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Water Shuttles/Tender Boats In The Harbor
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Meeting Point For The Shore Excursion & Boarding The Water Shuttle:
Our shore excursion tickets said our excursion's meeting place was the Carnival Vista's Liquid Lounge at 7:15am. We walked into the lounge right around 7:17am and it was packed. There were already people having to stand because all the seats were filled. Around 7:20am a shore excursions crew member announced the water shuttle was ready to transport people. We were directed into a roped off area of the stairwell that led us to Deck 0. Once we got to Deck 0 our Sail & Sign cards were scanned by the ship's security. A small metal walkway had been extended from the ship to the water shuttle. The waves were choppy and this walkway shook. Crossing from the ship to the water shuttle was a rocky experience, but the water shuttle's crew members were assisting everyone across. The water shuttle rocked up and down and this made finding a seat a little harder. Luckily there was a stairwell that led down to another area of seats. I managed to get a seat at the back, which is what I wanted for picture taking!
Within minutes the water shuttle departed for Grand Cayman. The ride took a little longer than 5 minutes and once were going the choppy waves were not noticeable.
Our shore excursion tickets said our excursion's meeting place was the Carnival Vista's Liquid Lounge at 7:15am. We walked into the lounge right around 7:17am and it was packed. There were already people having to stand because all the seats were filled. Around 7:20am a shore excursions crew member announced the water shuttle was ready to transport people. We were directed into a roped off area of the stairwell that led us to Deck 0. Once we got to Deck 0 our Sail & Sign cards were scanned by the ship's security. A small metal walkway had been extended from the ship to the water shuttle. The waves were choppy and this walkway shook. Crossing from the ship to the water shuttle was a rocky experience, but the water shuttle's crew members were assisting everyone across. The water shuttle rocked up and down and this made finding a seat a little harder. Luckily there was a stairwell that led down to another area of seats. I managed to get a seat at the back, which is what I wanted for picture taking!
Within minutes the water shuttle departed for Grand Cayman. The ride took a little longer than 5 minutes and once were going the choppy waves were not noticeable.
View Of The Carnival Vista From The Water Shuttle
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Seats On The Water Shuttle & Carnival Vista From The Left
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Departing The Ship
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Carnival Vista Looked Large As We Pulled Away
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Front View Of The Ship
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Carnival Paradise In The Distance
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Carnival Vista
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Harbor Police Boat
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Harbor
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Ashore At Grand Cayman:
Getting off the water shuttle took about 5 minutes because of nearly 200 people from the water shuttle trying to get off at the same time. We hung back a little because there was no point in trying to rush off and have to deal with the crowding. Once off the water shuttle we walked a short distance to some temporary tents setup for shore excursions. A tour operator looked at our tickets and directed us to a tent. About 10 minutes later, our shore excursion's name was called and our bus driver took us to his bus. Overall, the process to get to the shore excursion was easy!
Shore Excursion "Best Of Cayman Island Tour":
After everyone was on the tour bus, our driver began telling us about the shore excursion. He told us we were the Carnival Vista's first passengers to get to go on this exact shore excursion. The excursion was brand new and had only been done one time prior to our cruise (the Carnival Miracle's passengers the day before were the first to get on this excursion).
Here is the official excursion description from Carnival's website:
"Start your day as your professional driver heads through central George Town. Journey through the many interesting aspects of this city, sharing the history and stories as you pass by Heroes Square and various other historic buildings. Visit the “Conch Shell House” on your way to the Tortuga Rum Company where lots of delicacies are ready to please the most demanding palates. Driving through Camana Bay, climb the 75-foot Observation Tower and see a stunning mosaic mural and a breathtaking panoramic view from the top. Continue your journey through West Bay of Cayman, as you pass by The Governor’s Residence with a quick stop at the Old Homestead. A trip to Cayman won’t be a trip without a visit to “Hell” where you’ll have the opportunity to take selfies, go shopping and even have your passport stamped. Your final stop will be a visit to the Turtle Centre, home to more than 10,000 green sea turtles"
Link To Visit This Excursion On Carnival's Website: Click Here
Getting off the water shuttle took about 5 minutes because of nearly 200 people from the water shuttle trying to get off at the same time. We hung back a little because there was no point in trying to rush off and have to deal with the crowding. Once off the water shuttle we walked a short distance to some temporary tents setup for shore excursions. A tour operator looked at our tickets and directed us to a tent. About 10 minutes later, our shore excursion's name was called and our bus driver took us to his bus. Overall, the process to get to the shore excursion was easy!
Shore Excursion "Best Of Cayman Island Tour":
After everyone was on the tour bus, our driver began telling us about the shore excursion. He told us we were the Carnival Vista's first passengers to get to go on this exact shore excursion. The excursion was brand new and had only been done one time prior to our cruise (the Carnival Miracle's passengers the day before were the first to get on this excursion).
Here is the official excursion description from Carnival's website:
"Start your day as your professional driver heads through central George Town. Journey through the many interesting aspects of this city, sharing the history and stories as you pass by Heroes Square and various other historic buildings. Visit the “Conch Shell House” on your way to the Tortuga Rum Company where lots of delicacies are ready to please the most demanding palates. Driving through Camana Bay, climb the 75-foot Observation Tower and see a stunning mosaic mural and a breathtaking panoramic view from the top. Continue your journey through West Bay of Cayman, as you pass by The Governor’s Residence with a quick stop at the Old Homestead. A trip to Cayman won’t be a trip without a visit to “Hell” where you’ll have the opportunity to take selfies, go shopping and even have your passport stamped. Your final stop will be a visit to the Turtle Centre, home to more than 10,000 green sea turtles"
Link To Visit This Excursion On Carnival's Website: Click Here
Tour Buses Waiting For Passengers To Board
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Containers Stacked By The Bus Parking Lot
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View From The Bus: Vehicle That Can Drive On Land & Get In The Water
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The shore excursion began with our driver giving us a narrated tour of Georgetown. I liked our driver's style of touring because he would pull over when he wanted to talk about something. This allowed me to get better pictures than if the bus was moving. In the main part of Georgetown we saw the port, Heroes Square, and several other important buildings to the city. Here are some pictures from the bus:
View From The Bus: Industrial Area Of The Port
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View From The Bus: View As Pulled Into The Main Street After Leaving The Port
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View From The Bus: Outside Tables & Chairs
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View From The Bus: Plaza Area
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View From The Bus: Cafe
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View From The Bus
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View From The Bus
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View From The Bus: Shipping Containers Stacked
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View From The Bay: Round-a-bout
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After driving around Georgetown's main city area, we began driving towards the west end of the island. We drove through an area called Camana Bay. This part of the island had a variety of shops, eating places, entertainment, and offices. This area reminded me of Houston's City Centre. Our driver told us this area is growing and more things are being added. If I remember correctly, a movie theater is also located at Camana Bay. Here are some pictures of Camana Bay:
Sign As We Entered The Camana Bay Area
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Driving Through Camana Bay
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Driving Through Camana Bay
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Once we had left the Camana Bay area, we began driving along a road filled with resorts. These resorts were located along the 7 mile beach. Unfortunately, the resorts and hotels blocked our view of the beach. We drove by the Governor's House during our time in this area of the island. Our driver stopped for a minute to allow us to get pictures.
Governor's Housing Area
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View From The Bus
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View From The Bus: Cows & Livestock
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Shore Excursion Stop #1: "Hell"
There is a city on the island called "Hell". This city has its own post office, gift shop, and a rock formation. We were given approximately 20 minutes to check out the rock formations, gift shop, and post office. People could also pay to get their passports stamped. Our tour guide recommended we send ourselves a post card from Hell, Grand Cayman. There were a few other tour buses parked here, but the space was large enough for me to see the area and get pictures without having people in the pictures. Here are my pictures of our stop in Hell:
There is a city on the island called "Hell". This city has its own post office, gift shop, and a rock formation. We were given approximately 20 minutes to check out the rock formations, gift shop, and post office. People could also pay to get their passports stamped. Our tour guide recommended we send ourselves a post card from Hell, Grand Cayman. There were a few other tour buses parked here, but the space was large enough for me to see the area and get pictures without having people in the pictures. Here are my pictures of our stop in Hell:
Sign Welcoming Us To "Hell" & The Post-Office
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Hell's Post Office
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Mailboxes at the Hell Post Office
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In Hell, Grand Cayman
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Rock Formation in Hell
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Sign On The Gift Shop That Says "Jesus Died For All Of Us So Give Him Your Heart And Go To Heaven"
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Gift Shop Sign Welcoming People To Hell
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Another View of Hell's Rock Formation
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Gift Shop Area
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Shore Excursion Stop #2: Tortuga Rum Company
Our next stop was the Tortuga Rum Company's store on the west end of the island. This store sold a variety of different rum cake flavors and had samples. Inside the store, we had the option to sample regular and chocolate rum cakes. The samples were great! I only spent a few minutes inside the store because it was crowded. However, behind the building was an area with a rocky beach. This was a great place to get pictures of the water hitting the shoreline. The waves were gentle and the weather was good enough to give us very clear water!
Our next stop was the Tortuga Rum Company's store on the west end of the island. This store sold a variety of different rum cake flavors and had samples. Inside the store, we had the option to sample regular and chocolate rum cakes. The samples were great! I only spent a few minutes inside the store because it was crowded. However, behind the building was an area with a rocky beach. This was a great place to get pictures of the water hitting the shoreline. The waves were gentle and the weather was good enough to give us very clear water!
Covered Area Near The Water At The Tortuga Rum Cake Store
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Rocks and the Water
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View Of The Water
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Water Gently Crashing Against The Rocks
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Tour Buses Docked Behind The Rum & Rum Cake Store
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Tortuga Rum Sign on The Building
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Shore Excursion Stop #3: "Turtle Centre"
The third stop during our excursion was the "Turtle Centre". This place was located only about 3 minutes away from the Tortuga Rum Cake store. When we arrived at the Turtle Centre our tour guide told us to go inside and wait for him while he parked the bus. Within 2 minutes he came inside and gave us wristbands. Once outside we were free to roam the Turtle Centre. Some of the sea turtles were huge! We had approximately 30 minutes at this stop of the excursion to look around the turtle exhibits. There was an enclosure located here that had an alligator too.
For people that wanted to hold a turtle, there were two areas that people could hold a small turtle. One of these areas involved having a picture taken by the Turtle Centre's employees. No personal photographs in this area were allowed because the professional photographs were available for sale in the gift shop. There was another area a few feet away where people could hold a sea turtle and take personal pictures. People were supposed to clean their hands before & after handling the turtles. The line to hold a turtle was long. Here are some of my pictures from the Turtle Centre:
The third stop during our excursion was the "Turtle Centre". This place was located only about 3 minutes away from the Tortuga Rum Cake store. When we arrived at the Turtle Centre our tour guide told us to go inside and wait for him while he parked the bus. Within 2 minutes he came inside and gave us wristbands. Once outside we were free to roam the Turtle Centre. Some of the sea turtles were huge! We had approximately 30 minutes at this stop of the excursion to look around the turtle exhibits. There was an enclosure located here that had an alligator too.
For people that wanted to hold a turtle, there were two areas that people could hold a small turtle. One of these areas involved having a picture taken by the Turtle Centre's employees. No personal photographs in this area were allowed because the professional photographs were available for sale in the gift shop. There was another area a few feet away where people could hold a sea turtle and take personal pictures. People were supposed to clean their hands before & after handling the turtles. The line to hold a turtle was long. Here are some of my pictures from the Turtle Centre:
Entrance to the Cayman Turtle Centre
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Area As We Stepped Into The Turtle Centre
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Water Filled With Turtles
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Turtles in The Water
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Turtle That Swam Close
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Hand Sanitizing Station For People That Touched The Turtles Designated For Holding
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Tour Buses Parked Outside The Turtle Centre
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Turtle Statue Located At The Front
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View Of The Water From The Turtle Centre's Front Driveway
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Shore Excursion Stop #4: "7 Mile Beach"
Although the beach is called the Seven Mile Beach, it is closer to be being 5 miles long in length (according to our tour guide). Some ladies on our tour requested we get to stop and see the 7 mile beach. Our tour guide told us this was technically not part of the excursion, but he could make an allowance since time permitted. We were given 5 minutes to step out of the bus and take a few pictures with the blue water. It was nice and am thankful our guide was willing to add this to the tour.
Although the beach is called the Seven Mile Beach, it is closer to be being 5 miles long in length (according to our tour guide). Some ladies on our tour requested we get to stop and see the 7 mile beach. Our tour guide told us this was technically not part of the excursion, but he could make an allowance since time permitted. We were given 5 minutes to step out of the bus and take a few pictures with the blue water. It was nice and am thankful our guide was willing to add this to the tour.
View As I Walked Towards The 7 Mile Beach
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Seven Mile Beach
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Many Tropical Palm Trees Around!
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Overall Thoughts On The Shore Excursion:
This shore excursion was worth every penny and I would take this tour again in a heartbeat if I was back in Grand Cayman. If you want to have a sample of Grand Cayman you would like this tour. The total length of the excursion was 3 hours so we were back to the port by 11:30am.
Quick Walk Around Georgetown:
I wanted to take some pictures of the ships from land before heading back to the ship. I spent about 5 minutes walking along the sidewalk that bordered the water looking for a good place to take some pictures. Dark clouds were beginning to build in the sky and I thought it was going to rain. Luckily, the rain held off.
This shore excursion was worth every penny and I would take this tour again in a heartbeat if I was back in Grand Cayman. If you want to have a sample of Grand Cayman you would like this tour. The total length of the excursion was 3 hours so we were back to the port by 11:30am.
Quick Walk Around Georgetown:
I wanted to take some pictures of the ships from land before heading back to the ship. I spent about 5 minutes walking along the sidewalk that bordered the water looking for a good place to take some pictures. Dark clouds were beginning to build in the sky and I thought it was going to rain. Luckily, the rain held off.
Georgetown's Harbor
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Carnival Vista Anchored - View From The Town
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Walking Along The Street That Borders The Water
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Area For The Carnival Paradise's Cruisers To Enter To Water Shuttle Back To The Ship
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Carnival Paradise - View From The Town
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Carnival Paradise & Carnival Vista
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Returning To The Carnival Vista:
When we were ready to return to the Carnival Vista we had to show our Sail & Sign cards to be allowed in the cruise tendering area. The Liberty of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship, was now anchored and its passengers were coming ashore. This made the area with the water shuttles a little crowded, but it wasn't too bad given both of these ships are large. On our way to board the water shuttle, the Carnival Vista had a tent setup with water for drinking. This is always a nice touch Carnival does in ports. Having water available before getting on the ship is a great idea!
Once on the water shuttle we had to wait a few minutes before the shuttle started moving. Since it was the middle of the day, the water shuttle was not full. Some crew members were onboard transporting several bags of flower back to the ship. I kind of wonder if they borrowed supplies from the Carnival Paradise because we were running low on something. Here are some pictures from the ride back:
When we were ready to return to the Carnival Vista we had to show our Sail & Sign cards to be allowed in the cruise tendering area. The Liberty of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean ship, was now anchored and its passengers were coming ashore. This made the area with the water shuttles a little crowded, but it wasn't too bad given both of these ships are large. On our way to board the water shuttle, the Carnival Vista had a tent setup with water for drinking. This is always a nice touch Carnival does in ports. Having water available before getting on the ship is a great idea!
Once on the water shuttle we had to wait a few minutes before the shuttle started moving. Since it was the middle of the day, the water shuttle was not full. Some crew members were onboard transporting several bags of flower back to the ship. I kind of wonder if they borrowed supplies from the Carnival Paradise because we were running low on something. Here are some pictures from the ride back:
Carnival Vista & Liberty of the Seas
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Water Shuttle Parked In Front Of Ours
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Water Shuttle Departing Nearly Empty
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View As Our Water Shuttle Departed the Pier
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View Of The Shoreline From The Water Shuttle
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View Of Grand Cayman From The Water Shuttle
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Carnival Vista's Front
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Carnival Paradise & Carnival Vista's Front
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Looking Up At The Ship - Second Row Of Holes Are The Cove Balconies
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Carnival Vista - Another Water Shuttle At The Ship's Front
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Mid-Ship Entrance For Our Water Shuttle
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Water Shuttle Touching The Carnival Vista
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Liberty of the Seas
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Water Shuttle At The Ship's Front
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The next part's review will continue with me getting back on the ship...
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