Cayman Islands - Travel Information

Feature Cayman Island Hotel

Located on Grand Cayman in the British West Indies, the Hyatt Regency Grand Cayman Resort and Villas is a refuge of tranquility 500 miles south of Miami. Nestled on a glorious stretch of Seven Mile Beach, you can fulfill your island dreams in tropical splendor. Be dazzled by.....

The Cayman Islands are in the Eastern Standard Time zone year-round (the same time zone as New York and Miami) and do not observe Daylight Savings Time.

Most restaurants require shoes and shirts, and shorts instead of long pants are generally acceptable. Some of the upscale restaurants may require slacks for evening dinner. Please do not wear bathing suits or "skimpy" beach wear beyond the beach or cruise ship. Note that there are no nude beaches in the Cayman Islands and that public nudity and topless bathing are prohibited by law.

The Cayman Islands use the same electrical standards as the USA - 110 volts, 60 Hz. Most of our electronics and appliances are imported from the USA, and any travel items such as blow dryers, electric razors and travel clocks will work.

The Cayman Islands has its own currency and the basic unit is the dollar. It is issued in notes of CI$100, 50, 25, 10, 5 and 1 and coins valued at 25 cents, 10, 5 and 1 cent. The CI dollar has a fixed exchange rate with the US dollar of CI$1.00 equals US$1.25 or US$1.00 dollar equals CI $0.80. The US dollar is accepted throughout the islands and as an example, a US$20 note converts to CI$16. Banks do NOT give a better rate of exchange and the rate does not fluctuate! MasterCard, VISA and American Express cards as well as travelers checks are widely accepted. Canadian dollars and pounds sterling can be exchanged for CI dollars at local banks. Automatic Teller Machines accepting VISA and MasterCard with Cirrus affiliation are located at most banks and at the airport. Regular banking hours are 9:00 a.m. until 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

A mandatory Government room tax of 10% is standard and is added to your room charge. A departure tax of CI$20.00 or US$25.00 per person is normally included in the cost of your airline ticket.

The legal age for drinking alcoholic beverages on the Cayman Islands is 18 years. A licensee may lose his license or be fined for serving alcoholic beverages to any underage person.

Many restaurants will automatically add a charge of 15% to your total food and drink bill. In this case tipping is not required and you should check your bill before leaving extra. This 15% is not a legally enforceable charge and may be declined by you if you feel that the level of service received was unacceptable. Your food and beverage server receives only a portion of the gratuity, and you may tip them extra at your discretion.

The piped water in the Cayman Islands is completely safe to cook with or drink. All hotels and condos and most restaurants and private homes are connected to the city water supply. The water is originally pumped from the sea and then purified by reverse osmosis.

The Cayman Islands is served by 6 FM radio stations offering a mix of local and international music and programming. Most hotels and condos have a variety of television programming that usually includes ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, HBO, ESPN and others. Cable TV consists of approximately 35 channels and is available in most rental accommodations.

Cayman Travel Info