# Caribbean Vacations Forums > General Discussion >  >  Grand Cayman

## NHDiane

I am curious about the Caymans...anyone out there have some insight?  Judging only from the little I've read/heard about Grand Cayman, I've always thought it was somewhat overpriced and it's never even been on our radar.

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## MIke R

was a usual stop for me til it went all Hollywood and then I stopped going...loved it when it wasnt the cool place to go

two words

barefoot man

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## NHDiane

Guess that was part of what I heard too....but, I give up...what's the meaning of "barefoot man"??? Sorry but you'll have to explain

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## MIke R

back in the old days of Grand Cayman...on 7 mile beach there was  a funky old Holiday Inn we used to stay at.... and they had a classic Tiki Bar where the Barefoot Man played everyday at happy hour...and all us diver bums would gather at the bar and listen to him and get rip roaring drunk while talking about the dives we did that day....fun times


turns out the barefoot Man has gone Hollywood as well as the island
http://www.barefootman.com/

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## MIke R

Sunset House was an awesome bar to go to for sunset as well.... fun times

there was   a daily non stop out of Houston for us then so it was really easy to do long weekends there

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## rivertrash

Barefoot Man is an "island style" entertainer who has played in Grand Cayman for many years.  Not Buffett, but with enough rum drinks in you, he's OK.  See www.barefootman.com

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## NHDiane

Thanks for catching me up on this island legend gentlemen!  I doubt very much if we will ever try the Caymans but ya never know.  If you think about it, many that have read about St Bart's and see all the "Hollywood" that becomes part of the island during certain times, could draw the same conclusions and compare.  But, as WE all know, SBH has so much more than that.

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## MIke R

> But, as WE all know, SBH has so much more than that.




for now yes...but its clearly going in that direction...just read some of the trip reports in here.....they are the canary in the coal mine

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## rivertrash

Grand Cayman was an annual summer trip for my wife-to-be and her daughter when I met them in 1992.  Made my first trip there in 1993 and we did it for about 10 years.  As Mike mentions, it became more and more commercial, traffic got out of control and it lost much of its luster.  We had not been in several years and step-daughter, remembering the good times, wanted to go back in 2011.  We did.  We won't again.  Memories lie.  There are a few good restaurants there.  Eric Ripert, of Le Bernardin, has opened Blue by Eric Ripert in the Ritz-Carlton and it is excellent.  If you want a run-down of the better restaurants, send me a PM.

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## MIke R

I kissed it good bye in 1990

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## rivertrash

Think about it then and multiply by 100.

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## MIke R

yikes!......

no thanks

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## PIRATE40

For us, the Cayman's were all about diving....We went with the low expectation for fine dining...a few good restaurants, turtle farm, not much else to do except drink and dive....got tired of Grand Cayman and started going to Cayman Brac, again for the diving....not much going on there, but great wall and wreck diving...Little cayman even more remote.....Have not even thought about going back since early 90's and do not miss it one bit....

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## lmj

Hey Dick, if you see this in the next month or so... I think I mentioned last week that Paul won an incentive trip to GC, it's at the Ritz Carlton so we'll be there for a week.  We'll definitely go to Eric Ripert's place but if you know of any other good restaurants, let me know.  We'll be on our own for 4 days/nights and then we'll be dining with 100 of our closest friends for the next 3 nights (beach BBQ's and most likely Barefoot Man, LOL)... so I only need a few restaurant tips to make us happy.  I went on business maybe 12 years ago and had no desire to go back.  But a free vacation is a good vacation, a Ritz Carlton doesn't suck, and put me on the beach and I'm happy, so GC here we come.

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