We are planning going to Grand Cayman the week of Oct 17, 2004. A couple of questions. Do they accept a Visa Check Card? Courtyard by Marriott, is it nice? Is there food and shopping within walking distance? What's the weather like in late October? It's our 20th wedding annv and my wife's 40th bd and I want it to be great. Any help would be great.

Yes, they do accept Visa Check card. They even accept US Dollars pretty much everywhere, but they give you your change in Cayman dollars.

never been to the marriott, we stay in a rented villa. There's a TON of stuff in walking distance, and you can rent a car or take a couple days tours to check out the island.

Grand Cayman is my fave caribbean island. Safe, clean, and GORGEOUS! Weather should be fine in October. I think hurricane season ends late Sept... even still, hurricane rarely bother the caymans since it is usually protected from major weather by Jamaica.

Please disregard the weather advice above. It couldn't be more wrong.
The very peak of hurricane season is mid-September to first of October, and hurricane season ends November 30.
Also, G Cayman is one of the more commonly hit islands. In the past 100 years it's been hit by 62 hurricanes and named tropical storms (33 of these were actual hurricanes).
The risk per week is not large, but you should still be aware of the probabilities.

I have stayed at the Courtyard and the Marriott Beach Resort. I know you didn't ask for a comparison, but they are the only two places I have stayed. The Resort is more centrally located and is "better" depending on what you are looking for. The rooms are comparable and both have the same offerings (resturant, beach bar, lobby bar, gift shop, activities desk). No balconies at the Courtyard. To me the difference at the Resort is the grounds, not that they are bad at the Courtyard, they are just larger and more landscaped. The Courtyard is in a much much better beach location, though you have to walk across the street to get to it. It is also on the nothern end of SMB, closer to condos and residential living (maybe 2 miles from West Bay). You can walk to West Bay and places around the Westin.......without a problem. If you are a walker, you can walk further up SMB. Buses and taxis (high) are also available. If you are renting a car, even better if you like to drive on the left.

I am not sure about the weather. I do know that hurricane season ends at the beginning of Nov. The biggest effect hurricans (tropical weather in general maybe) have had is beach errosion.......more of a reason to stay at the Courtyard, because it has a wide beach.

Found this on the web.

Hurricane Season

Although the hurricane season runs from June 1st to November 31st, the months of September, October and November are usually the most active in northwest Caribbean. During this period storms tend to form in the southern Caribbean and move north, into the area. Visitors don't need to worry about being trapped on the islands during a hurricane as evacuation plans have been implemented and worked well in the past.

And this....

Located approximately 20?North and 81?West, the three Cayman Islands enjoy mainly tropical weather conditions with slight seasonal variation. Climatically, the year divides into two seasons - the summer or rainy season, generally from mid-May through October, and the dry, winter season, from November to April. The winds are mostly from the east-northeast in winter and east-southeast in summer. The temperature in the Cayman Islands, summer or winter, seldom goes lower than 70?F or higher than 90?F with the daily average varying between 77?F and 84?F. The average relative humidity is a comfortable 77%. The hurricane season typically lasts from 1 June to 30 November. Modern Cayman Islands has been very fortunate in escaping serious damage and fatalities; nevertheless, Cayman pays keen attention to the hurricane season.