Is a Grand Cayman excursion worth it? The answer is a sum, not an opinion
The sum nobody else does
Put US$79 next to US$650 in a list and the second looks like eight times the first. It is not. US$79 buys one seat on a shared catamaran. US$650 buys the whole boat for up to ten guests, which is US$65 a head if you fill it, and that is below the shared fare.
| Group size | Shared, US$79 each | Private charter, US$650 the boat | Private charter, US$765 the boat |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 people | US$158 | US$650 | US$765 |
| 4 people | US$316 | US$650 (US$162.50 each) | US$765 (US$191.25 each) |
| 8 people | US$632 | US$650 (US$81.25 each) | US$765 (US$95.63 each) |
| 9 people | US$711 | US$650 — private wins | US$765 |
| 10 people | US$790 | US$650 (US$65 each) | US$765 — private wins |
Two people asking whether a private charter is worth it are asking whether US$650 beats US$158. It does not, and no amount of enthusiasm changes that. Nine people asking the same question are asking whether US$650 beats US$711, and it does. The full table, with every group size in between, is on shared boat or private charter.
The charter that never wins
One private boat here is US$1,200 with a cap of six. Six heads into US$1,200 is US$200 each at full capacity, against US$79 on the shared catamaran. There is no group size at which that sum comes out ahead on price. If you book it, book it because you want a boat with six people on it, not because you think you are saving.
The other sum: what an hour costs
Duration is priced too, and unevenly:
- The catamaran is US$79 for 3 to 3.5 hours, which works out between about US$23 and US$26 an hour.
- The 4-stop trip is US$99 for 4.5 hours, which is US$22 an hour, the cheapest hourly rate on the page.
- The 2.5-hour reef and stingray trip is US$99, which is US$39.60 an hour, the dearest.
- The US$650 charter across ten guests for 4.5 hours is US$65 each, under US$15 per person per hour.
Note what that does to the two US$99 trips. They cost the same and one runs 4.5 hours while the other runs 2.5. That is the clearest single argument on this page, and it is not visible from a price column.
Cost per hour is not the same as value per hour. About half of a 3 to 3.5 hour catamaran trip is in transit, on the evidence of one reviewer’s timings. The time page shows that working.
What you are actually buying
The sandbar at Stingray City sits in the North Sound, just inside a natural channel through the barrier reef, and you cannot reach it on foot. Visitors stand in about three feet of water and wade to chest height while staff hand out chunked squid to feed southern stingrays. The rays gathered there decades ago because fishermen cleaned their catch in the shallows, and came to associate boat engines with food.
The honest caveat belongs on the same page as the price. The reference literature records growing concerns about alterations in behaviour, feeding patterns and general ecology of these rays compared with rays not receiving supplemental nutrition. That is a sourced concern about the attraction this site earns a commission on, and it is set out in full on the Stingray City page. Weigh it before you book, not after.
Do not let the ratings decide it
Six of the seven scores on this site rest on 17, 4, 4, 4, 2 and 1 reviews. One rests on 325. A perfect score from a single review is one person’s afternoon, and sorting this catalogue by score would put the single-review product on top. Every card here prints the sample size next to the score for that reason. The reviews hub spells out which one is settled and which six are not.
So is it worth it?
What works
- Two to eight people: the shared catamaran is the cheapest per head here, and it carries the only review sample worth the name
- Nine or ten people: the US$650 charter beats the shared fare per head, at US$65 each when full
- A long day for the money: the 4-stop trip at 4.5 hours costs the same as a 2.5-hour trip
- The sandbar cannot be reached without a boat, so there is no free substitute
Worth knowing
- Roughly half of a 3 to 3.5 hour trip is spent getting there and back
- The US$1,200 charter is US$200 a head at its cap of six and never beats the shared boat
- Four of the seven prices are per boat, not per person, and lists do not always say so
- A sourced concern exists about the effect of feeding on these rays
The seven trips
The only settled ratingGrand Cayman: Catamaran Cruise with Stingray City & Snorkel
Smaller shared boatGrand Cayman: Stingray City and Cayman Reefs Snorkeling Tour
Most stops4-Stop Ultimate Grand Cayman Tour
Private — per boat, up to 10Whole boat, up to 10Private: Stingray City & Snorkeling Charter (Most Popular)
Private — per boat, up to 10Whole boat, up to 10Grand Cayman Private Tour: Stingray City & Starfish Visit
Dearest hereWhole boat, up to 6Private Luxury Boat Tour in Grand Cayman
Full line-up and prices on the all-tours page. Costs broken down on what an excursion costs.
Frequently asked questions
Is it worth paying for a cruise excursion in Grand Cayman?
The Stingray City sandbar sits in the North Sound and cannot be reached on foot, so a boat is the only way there. For two to eight people the shared catamaran at US$79 per person is the cheapest route; at nine or more, the US$650 private charter for up to ten works out lower per head.
Is a private charter better value than a shared boat?
Only above eight people. US$650 buys the whole boat for up to ten, which is US$65 each when full against US$79 on the shared catamaran. At four people the same charter is US$162.50 each, more than double the shared fare.
Which Grand Cayman tour has the most reviews?
The shared catamaran cruise, with 325 reviews. The next largest sample on this site is 17, and four products sit on 4, 4, 2 and 1 reviews. Sample size is printed beside every score here for that reason.