*Updated 1/21/2022 to reflect Cayman’s move into Phase 5 of the reopening plan.

Travelling to Cayman right now can seem like a difficult process, but we’re here to make it as seamless as possible! We are now open to all fully vaccinated adult travelers and accompanying unvaccinated travelers 11 or under and anyone who meets these conditions is no longer required to quarantine upon arrival. Keep reading for a step-by-step process of applying for travel to Cayman and exactly what you’ll need for your long-awaited vacation at Plantana.

Step 1: Travel Arrangements

The first two things you’ll need are valid flights and a confirmed reservation at Plantana! Flights are few and far between through to February/March 2022 so be sure to research what route will work best for you.

On the Plantana website homepage, you can enter your desired dates to see availability and follow the prompts to book your stay online. Alternatively, reach out to us directly at info@plantanacayman.com or via phone at 404-474-4344 and we can assist!

Step 2: Apply for a Travel Declaration on “Travel Cayman”

You’ll need to navigate to www.travelcayman.gov.ky to begin the application process for travel to Grand Cayman. Once you’ve signed up for a profile, you’ll be directed to the “Travel Cayman” Dashboard.

From here, follow the below steps:

1. Click the banner reading “How to apply for a Travel Declaration?” which will drop down a menu. At the bottom of this, you’ll see a green button reading “Get Started.” Click this to begin.
2. The next page will load, and in the top right corner, you’ll see another green button reading “+Travel Declaration.” Click this to officially begin your application.
3. Fill out your details on this page and click “Next”
4. Answer the first two questions accurately, clicking “Next” each time
5. You will get to the third question, asking if your vaccination status is securely verifiable. Answer “yes” if you have a QR code for your vaccine. Answer “no” if you have paper documentation for your vaccine.

If you answered “yes” to question 3:

1. Review the answers you have given and ensure all are correct. Click “next”
2. Review the requirements for your QR code and have it ready and available. Click “CommonCheck”
3. Either upload your document with a QR code or scan from your smart phone camera.
4. If accepted, you will automatically be able to download your travel certificate which is necessary for travel.
5. Repeat these steps for all travelers in your party.
6. If your QR code was NOT accepted, go back to question 3, answer “no,” and follow the steps below.

If you answered “no” to question 3:

1. At this step, DO NOT click “Travel Request.” This will bring you to a new application to apply as an unvaccinated or partially vaccinated group for quarantine upon arrival.
2. In the blue box, the first paragraph has a bold and uppercase link reading “CLICKING HERE.” This is where you need to click to properly proceed to the next step.
3. This will bring you to a new page where you’ll need to fill out the information correctly and upload your vaccination documentation. You can fill out this form once for all travelers in your party but pay close attention to how they would like the information filled out.
4. Once completed with information on everyone you are travelling with, click “Submit”
5. This will bring you to a page confirming that the application has been sent in and will be reviewed within 24 hours. Please note this process may take much longer than 24 hours depending on demand, so be sure to start the process with time to spare before travel.
6. Once you receive an email with your travel certificates, you will be cleared for travel to the Cayman Islands.

Step 3: Schedule Your Pre-Arrival Test

One of the requirements for entry into the Cayman Islands at this time is proof of a negative PCR or certified rapid antigen/lateral flow test taken the day before your flight into Grand Cayman. All travelers in your party 5 years of age and older are required to do this testing. Children aged 4 and under are not required to present proof of a negative COVID test.

Step 4: Make Your Way to Grand Cayman

On the day of your travel, ensure you have your negative PCR or rapid antigen test results, your travel certificates, and your proof of vaccination.

Step 5: Carry Out On-Island Rapid Antigen Testing

Once you land in Cayman, you will be given a card at the airport for your Lateral Flow Testing. You are required to undergo a rapid antigen/lateral flow test on day 2, day 5, and day 7 of your trip. This must be done by a medical professional and cannot be self-administered. The most convenient approved location for this is at Total Health, located in Grand Pavilion just a short drive up the road from Plantana. The costs associated with this testing is your responsibility as the traveler.

For those guests travelling back to the US, this rapid test is likely to be accepted as your return negative test to re-enter the US if it was done the day before your departure. Please double check all your necessary travel requirements.

Step 6: Have a Wonderful Trip and Book to Come Again!

The Cayman Islands is in Phase 3 of our reopening plan. After some stumbling blocks were hit this month with community spread of COVID-19, our government made the decision to pause our reopening at Phase 3 without an idea of exactly when we would move into Phase 4.

While we are still in Phase 3, mandatory quarantines upon arrival for all travelers is still required, as well as pre-arrival PCR testing. The quarantine periods range from 7 days up to 14 days, depending on vaccination status of all travelers in your party. This of course makes leisure travel very difficult if not impossible. Phase 4 will also bring its challenges, but vaccinated travelers will be able to come to the Cayman Islands without quarantining as long as their vaccination status can be “securely verified.”

What does it mean for your vaccination status to be securely verified? The Cayman Islands Government has been working with governments, businesses, and programs across the US and beyond to begin accepting vaccinations that can be digitally or securely verified via a QR code or other method beyond just a paper certificate. They will continue to update this list and add to it as more providers become accepted.

Currently, vaccinations are accepted as securely verifiable from the following issuers: the UK National Health Services, any EU Member States or country that meet the EU Digital COVID Certificate standard, and those who use SMART Health Cards and are part of the CommonTrust Network, including Walmart Pharmacy, Sam’s Club Pharmacy, the State of Louisiana, the State of California, UC San Diego Health, CVS Health, and UC Health.

The forecast for traveling to the Cayman Islands without a quarantine is cloudy right now, but we are hopeful to have clearer answers for late 2021 and early 2022 reservations soon. We remain cautiously optimistic that our government will choose to move ahead into the next phase of our reopening in the coming weeks, but no date has officially been set.

We also remain open to the possibility of welcoming you to Plantana while quarantine measures are still in place. If you’re able to squeeze in an extended vacation, look no further than the home away from home that Plantana can provide you. Discounted rates for quarantine stays currently apply and we would love to share details.

The entire team at Plantana continues to miss our guests and hope that we can welcome you all with open arms in the near future. Until then, please don’t hesitate to reach out at 404-474-4344 or info@plantanacayman.com for any questions about upcoming travel or future reservations.

While there is currently not any news on when the borders will open more widely to visitors, Cayman is still working hard to reach goals that make a reopening closer on the horizon. The Cayman Islands are aiming for some level of herd immunity before the borders reopen, with vaccinations being the focus to protect our small population.

As of May 26, there have been 78,622 total vaccine doses given in the Cayman Islands, with 65% of our population having received at least one dose and 56% being fully vaccinated with both doses. Though not official via a government announcement, it is widely believed that major changes to our incoming traveler restrictions could occur when 70% of Cayman’s population is fully vaccinated.

We are inching towards this goal, with 65% having their first dose already. Our current batch of vaccines is due to expire at the end of June, so our leaders are encouraging our population to come forward and get vaccinated. Utilizing community spirit, vaccine drives, and raffles and prize offerings, the momentum continues to pull us closer to that goal.

The team at Plantana have also been working hard to get ready for your arrival. Of our 12 staff members, 8 have been fully vaccinated and 3 have received their first dose. We want you to feel safe returning to stay with us, knowing that we have your best interests at heart! New cleaning products and processes have also been adopted since the pandemic began, and we are ready to take care of you whenever you are able to make it to our shores.

Since the summer of 2020, Cayman’s restrictions have been lifted so there are no mask mandates, no social distancing required, and no limits on capacity for restaurants. For now, we still can’t hold events larger than 1,000 persons or host our famous Batabano carnival, but life in Cayman has been as normal as possible for just about a year. While there have been a handful of “COVID Casualties” in reference to restaurants and attractions, there are also plenty of new spots to open up, waiting for you to try!

The Cayman Islands have certainly been blessed throughout the pandemic, and we can’t wait to welcome you back to the island that has taken such good care of us all for the past year.

Get in touch with our staff if you’re interested in an extended stay including quarantine – we’re offering a special rate of “stay for 7, pay for 5” and the government accommodation tax is waived through to September 2021, giving a great savings for your stay! Contact us today at communications@plantanacayman.com

If you didn’t already know, the original name given to the Cayman Islands was “Las Tortugas,” referencing the large number of turtles that were present on the islands upon its discovery in 1503. Comparatively, sea turtles are now an endangered species in the Cayman Islands! Even though we no longer have a huge population of wild sea turtles, the species is still extremely important in Cayman’s culture.

Every year from May to November, there is a turtle nesting season that the island takes very seriously. The Department of Environment within our national government manages the nests, eggs, and releases back into the ocean. It is quite a spectacle to witness, so if you ever have a chance to experience a baby turtle hatching and release, make sure you wake up early to do so!

With the sea turtles being endangered, it is especially important to protect the nests and eggs, providing an environment that is safe and viable for the female turtles to carry out the entire process. This relies on the cooperation of all residences, buildings, and businesses along the beaches of Cayman. Plantana is actually a turtle nesting site and we have been known to have a few nests present right on our beach throughout the years!

Through the last year that the island has been closed to overseas short-term guests, Plantana has been working closely with the Department of Environment to produce a plan to install all new turtle-friendly lighting throughout the property. Our pool lights, beach lights, and walkway lights may all look different the next time you’re at Plantana! Keeping our guests safety in mind, there will be no loss of illumination, but picture a warm glow in certain orange-tinted hues throughout the pool and beach areas at night. With our transition to becoming a turtle-friendly property, we hope it can contribute to the success of the turtle monitoring program along Seven Mile Beach.

There is still about 6 months left in the turtle nesting season for 2021, and we sure hope you’ll be able to see some of the magic for yourself!

While the Grand Cayman airport remains open only to approved travelers, Plantana guests are welcome to explore the option of visiting us under slightly different terms. It is still possible to travel to Plantana during this time – just visit our specials page for more details on the process!

We spoke to a few of our overseas guests who have made the journey to Cayman during COVID-related travel restrictions and got their take on what quarantine was like. Read on to see what they had to say!

What made you decide to come to Cayman during this time?

Diane: We look forward to coming to Cayman every year. If there was any way at all that we could do it, we were going to figure it out. The US being “locked down” was so draining, we needed the break, but safely.

Jeff & Gayle: We are regular vacationers at Plantana and have been coming here for 10 years. As COVID hit in early 2020, we left Cayman early in March – in the middle of our spring stay – catching the last flight out before the island was closed. We thought surely, we’d back for a summer trip – but definitely for a Nov/Dec trip! But alas, NO… COVID had other ideas. Finally, this winter, we decided COVID or no COVID, it was time to return to Cayman and we would not cancel our spring trip. It would be almost a year and we were prepared to overcome any obstacle!

Upon your arrival to the island, what was the airport like?

D: Impressive is the only word that comes to mind. The airport was staffed with many health workers ready to receive you from the plane, tell you what to do and how to do it. They were extremely organized and safe.

Did you find the process upon landing in Cayman to be organized?

J&G: This was a very efficient and organized process. From touch-down to departing the airport in the government-provided transportation to our condo, it was about 90 minutes. We were efficiently checked in to verify our Travel Approval, fitted with our monitoring bands and handed our monitoring phones to activate upon arrival in our quarantine location, processed through the usual immigration/passport check, and then given our PCR nasal test. The entire time, we felt “expected” and on every list and checkpoint to efficiently move us through the process. Then we joined other fellow travelers in a minibus provided by the government to take us directly to our quarantine location. (And the Plantana staff was standing by at the office to wave, shout hello, and greet us from a distance as we walked masked to our condo!)

Was there anything that made carrying out the quarantine at Plantana special?

D: Because we are very active people, we arranged for a treadmill and a spin bike to be delivered to our condo for the duration of the quarantine. While we couldn’t be outside to walk or run, we got our exercise in every day which helped physically and mentally to be stuck inside. We made it a point to spend as much time on our porch as we could and got our sun in the afternoon. Ended quarantine with a bit of a tan!

J&G: First and foremost, it was definitely the Plantana staff! From the first time we let them know we were hoping to make the trip, they were so helpful and very supportive at every step. They provided insights on the process, on how to fill out the application, and how to do our advance grocery (and libations) ordering so that everything would be in our unit (which they took up and put away in our unit on the morning of our arrival). And then they were very attentive to all our needs while in quarantine, even strolling by our lanai on occasion to wave and say hello!

After quarantining for 14 days, how would you describe the experience?

J&G: There is no question for us that the experience was much better than we had imagined. We have to give a shout out to the delivery services – the folks on the island have perfected the technique! Our grocery deliveries were “next day,” and everything was as ordered. Our delivery from Blackbeard’s for essential libations were same day when ordered before 2pm. And the restaurants – most of our favorites delivered to our door within 45 minutes of ordering online! Our days were full – meals, working out, reading the paper, books on our Kindles, an occasional Zoom with friends back home, happy hour watching the sunset from our lanai! We found that the 14 days went by quickly, and we truly enjoyed the “down time” and peace & quiet!

Do you have any tidbits or advice to help future guests through their quarantine?

D: The best advice I can give is to make sure you plan ahead. The management and staff at Plantana are fantastic and helped us get through the process with great advice. We had a hiccup with our COVID test not arriving within 72 hours, so our first arrival date had to be changed to two weeks later and they were so kind and felt so badly for us.

J&G: (1) Start with a positive attitude and don’t view it as quarantine, view it as a retreat! (2) Read the Travel Time info carefully, understand the process, and plan for each step (3) Know that the Plantana staff will happily provide insights and help along the way (4) Don’t get anxious about the airport arrival unknowns, testing, etc. – the process works well!

Now that you have completed the quarantine, would you say that it is worth it to have a restriction-free life on the island?

D: It has been absolute pleasure to be here. We honestly feel like we have the beaches to ourselves right now. It is quiet and beautiful and worth every bit of the preparation to get here. It is definitely our happy place and will continue to be as long as we can make the trip.

J&G: Yes, definitely! It has been so refreshing to return to life as we knew it pre-COVID. No mask wearing, no one giving you the evil eye if you stand too close, discussions NOT dominated by COVID-this, COVID-that, and hearty handshakes and warm hugs with all your friends on the island! Hopefully we won’t have to, but we’ll quarantine again when it is time for our next trip!

 

If you’re interested in spending some time at Plantana in the near future, please get in touch to take us up on our “Stay for 7, Pay for 5” special offered to all stays from now through to August 31, 2021. See you soon!

Call us at 1-404-474-4344 or 1-345-945-4430 or email us at info@plantanacayman.com