Well, just recieved our airline tickets and condo reservation in the mail today from Beachcomber and Air Canada. Isn't that ironic! It sounds like the devestation is catastrophic. I've spent months searching for the best five day vacation for our family of six...and Grand Cayman was our final choice.
The way the reports are coming in, it sounds like it will take a very long time for Grand Cayman to get back to even resembling it's former self. We've never been there but by all accounts, it sounds like paradise.
However, we have to make new travel plans and we'll save Grand Cayman for another time.
Open to suggestions for a five day trip, anywhere that Air Canada flys, late April, three early 20 year olds, a 17 year old and us old folks.
We had considered San Diego. Open to suggestions.
My heart goes out to those who know and love Grand Cayman.

What other islands does Air Canada fly to?

How about Hawaii. Looks like other than the ABC islands, the Caribbean has been blown/washed away. Other choice might be the Pacific coast of Mexico, Cancun is getting hit too looks like.

Barbados or St. Lucia. AC flies to both. Neither island was seriously affected by Ivan.

Hi Forest,

We adore Barbados, it's people, and the diversity of the island altogether. It is not a snorkel dive destination like GC (love it there too), but it is a destination that will call you back again and again.

We love the beach hopping, exploring, and fun of the island... esp. the graciousness of the Bajan people.

I'm sorry about your GC plans being dashed... hope your new vacation destination brings you much joy!

I am sure Cayman will be up and running by April. Unless your hotel was completely blown away. I would try and contact them in a week or so.
Ronnie

We have plans for February. It looks like it's going to take the island a long time to recover from this. I know there are people there just trying to find food and water and clean up devastated homes-so I feel terrible worrying about my vacation. I think I'll just wait a few weeks to see what happens down there. (my understanding is that airlines won't let you refund tickets unless flights are cancelled. Otherwise you have to pay a substantial penalty fee.)

I spent hours yesterday doing battle with Air Canada. I had booked just last week with Aeroplan and recieved the tickets yesterday. They were going to charge us about $100 per ticket to change but they lowered it to $25 per ticket...thats times SIX tickets. I would like to wait and see how Grand Cayman recovers but Air Canada gave us two weeks to make a decision. I hate to do it but we'll have to find another destination. I'm almost afraid to book anything in the caribbean.

Grand Cayman is indeed a very special place. This is a terrible trajedy. I think if I were you I'd keep my options open and research option 2... which you are doing.

No doubt the folks on Cayman will need tourist dollars. April is a long way off. Key issue is what is the status of the condo where you had planned to stay? Reports indicate phone lines and electricity down... some estimates of it being two months before electricity is restored. You might not have answers withing the timeframe Air Canada has given you.

I am so sorry your dream trip to Cayman has been turned upside down.

Airlines sometimes are very liberal with tickets... just last year the SARS epidemic in Toronto allowed all sorts of refunds and switching of tickets, penalty free.... that was with either American or Delta... I can't remember now which airline. Maybe as the airline execs realize the devastation, they will have a policy change to improve goodwill with their customers. (It's good business.)

- Sharon

Opinions please - we have plans for Thanksgiving weekend at the Westin. Should we cancel? I know that they depend on tourist dollars; however, this is an expensive trip. And, if we cancel any suggestions on where to go.

I'd give serious thought to waiting at least a week to see what the situation is. They will try to get back to normal as quickly as possible. The amount of devestation will depend on how fast this is done. But wait until reliable information is out and then make your decision. It's just too soon to make a determination.

datravelers: Have you called the Westin yet? They could tell you when they expect to get a damage assessment. Once they know that they should have an idea of how long they'll remain closed. I do think it's too early to know. I would give them a week.

Forest168...we are a family of 6 as well! (with plans for a Feb. Grand Cayman vacation.) Interesting about the airline giving you 2 weeks to decide. It's the least they can do!
I know just how you feel...this is so sad. I do not want to be selfish but a trip like this is not a regular thing for us. It was a big decision to spend a lot of money on a vacation that we thought our whole family would remember forever. I am hoping that things improve in the Caymans but initial reports do not suggest this is going to happen. As I said before, I think I'll give it some more time before I decide what to do. I do feel bad for you! I would be hesitant about booking any new vacation during this awful hurricane season. My heart goes out to the homeowners down there. Ugh.

I would not cancel your trip to the Caymans. Things are pretty well built down there, more than other islands - I have spoken to a friend there and he says it is not as bad as people here are saying. Yes, some place are pretty badly damaged, but the major hotels are fine.

And by April, things should be back to normal. There will be construction going on, but there's ALWAYS construction on Grand Cayman, so what else is new?

jcjc...We really are in the same sort of boat. We've only been able to take one other big family vacation. This one was to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary and two of the kids graduating university.(which would account for why we haven't been able to take a family vacation in years $$$)
I feel really bad for the people of Grand Cayman and the folks who have interests there. Our business relies heavily on tourist dollars too, and last year we took a kicking with SARS. You just never know what's going to happen.
Townclose...the place is totally devestated. Read the thousands of messages at www.stormcarib.com.
There are still dozens of people unaccounted for. Relief planes are flying supplies in and people out. Woman, children and the elderly are being asked to leave the island due to the threat of disease and lack of basics such as water. The highest official of the electrical company there has said it will take months just to restore power. There are people in Florida right now who are still without power...and that's in North America. They've even got a small army of Canadian hydro workers in Florida helping to restore power.
It's going to take a lot of work, time and good old mother nature to get Grand Cayman back to it's former glory.

I have heard from other friends on Grand Cayman, and they are saying it IS pretty bad so disregard my previous post...

But I'd still go in April, the island is gorgeous anyway, and a lot will be done by then. Look at it this way, maybe it won't be so crowded!

To find out what is really going on in the Caymans, visit the reports section of www.stormcarib.com. This site has you eye-witness island-by-island reports of hurricane status (and aftermath) for each island. The site is run by volunteers and is doing a much better job of providing hurricane information than the conventional media. It is also a very good place for communicating informatioon on relief efforts and for helping people who are looking for relatives and friends get in touch.

In summary, based on the reports on this site, Grand Cayman is a wreck. Little Cayman and Cayman Brac are much better.

I feel really bad for the people in Grand Cayman. So little news is being reported about their needs and the extent of the devastation. Unfortunately we were to travel there next Sat. the 25th. As of right now US Airways will only change tickets up Sept. 20th or I will get a $1100 cancellation charge. I spent over an hour on the phone yesterday with Travelocity. They say " they are unable to do anything until the airlines agrees to include my date of departure. Check out this site. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cayma...s_warning.html
Thanks for listening.

Air Canada flies into MoBay and Jamaica's North Coast was not seriouslyl affected by Ivan while its
South Coast is bouncing back fast for re-openings in 6 weeks at most. Cayman may well do the same by next April.

srewolf...sorry to hear of your misfortune. We had to do alot of talking to get Aeroplan to come around but they did lower the cost of changing to $25 per ticket...there are six tickets so that was alot better than $75 per ticket. The problem is that they want to know our change within the next few weeks, so i don't have the luxury of waiting to see how quickly Grand Cayman recovers. We've decided to try Barbados. I just feel so uneasy booking anything this year in the caribbean but ya gotta take a chance. We'll try Cayman another year and I wish the best to all the people there. We did hear from the Beachcomber and we will get a full refund from them too...when, I don't know.