?money, Jewelry
 

2 part question: We are vacationing in June in the Caymans,bring cash, convert to Cayman money, travellers checks?? I LOVE jewelry,anything special in the Caymans to shop for in the jewelry department. THanks to all.

I usually use my debit card at the ATM and get Cayman dollars a few times during my stay so I don't have to carry around mounds of cash. Don't believe in TCs.

TC's work fine if that's what you prefer. As to jewelry - black coral is quite unique to the island.

You can see some black coral and caymanite jewelry on Joe Jackman's site www.handmade.com.ky

Don't forget - your $1 is worth $0.80 in Grand Cayman (is that still true Cayman Sue?) We use the credit card, cash, and TC.

Thanks to all for your quick replies. I've been hearing that TC are not used too much any more. THanks for the info on the jewelry,too.

Not to be overly politically correct, but buying coral encourages the destruction of coral reefs for obvious reasons. It just seems a bit odd to me to visit a place and then purchase stuff that degrades the environment you went to see in the first place.

We were just in Grand Cayman over Easter week. We used credit cards for almost everything, as my husband does not like to carry a lot of cash. The charge then shows up on your statement in US dollars. We did use some cash for small things, like drinks at the bar at Rum Point, and we had to pay for our Stingray City tour in cash ($50 US for myself and my son). There didn't seem to be any reason to change money, since everyone takes US dollars. (Though they won't take US coins, just bills.)

I did not buy jewelry, but I did see a lot of black coral for sale. As the last poster mentioned, though, black coral is endangered, so I didn't feel right supporting that industry. There is supposed to be a place on South Sound Rd., called the Black Coral Clinic, that sells pieces made from coral taken years ago, before it became protected. We drove by but weren't able to stop in, unfortunately. You'll also see a lot of jewelry made from Caymanite, a local stone.
Have a great time!

We've used credit cards and cash during our trips. Never had a problem. Change is given in CI but we use it up at the airport if there's any left---which is rare :)

As a collector of black coral jewelery since coming upon Bernard Passman's shop, I feel almost obligated to chime in. The pieces that I've gotten are truely works of art and will be passed down in the family. He also has shops in the US and Grand Cayman--which I highly recommend as a stop during vacation. No need to purchase anything, just take a scenic tour. I suppose some of the smaller shops that promote black coral aren't doing things quite as professionally as Passman's, so I am only directing my comment on his material. And promise, I get nothing for my short promo LOL.

From their website----"Mr. Passman pioneered black coral as a fine art and jewelry medium twenty-five years ago in Grand Cayman. Today, he is recognized as the only master sculptor of black coral in the world.

Mr. Passman has also been active in efforts to protect black coral. He proposed legislation in the Cayman Islands that strictly regulates harvesting of black coral. Many countries around the world have since adopted similar legislation. Mr. Passman is licensed by the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of the Interior to retrieve very limited quantities of black coral each year. None of the coral used in our manufacturing comes from live reefs. We retrieve only pieces broken off in storms found on the ocean floor."

http://www.passman.com/

Credit cards and US dollars were all we needed last week. Everyone accepts US dollars and even gives $US change.

We used Travelers checks and were fine.

I was told that you are better of to convert to CI dollars because if you use US dollars...your change will be a little short because of the conversion.

Next trip I will convert my money to CI dollars.

Christie

The exchange rate is fixed and that will never be a problem. US $10.00 is worth CI $8.00. Your change will be based on that. Even cash registers can do the US/CI thing. You get a bit more if you go to the bank but I'm never near a bank nor do I take the time. ATM, TC, cash - all work equally well - depends on your preference.