Entry & Immigration Requirements
The Cayman Islands is a foreign country and has both entry and immigration requirements in order to enter. Entry into the Cayman Islands requires each person to present a valid passport. Citizens from some countries may require a visa.
Please check official government channels for current entry requirements (www.exploregov.ky) and for any visa requirements (www.immigration.gov.ky).
Payment Schedule
We charge 50% of the rental rate upon receipt of a signed rental agreement. The remaining 50% of rent, taxes, and fees are collected 60 days prior to arrival for all villas; while condos may have a slightly different schedule. Lastly, the refundable damage deposit is typically collected 30 days prior to arrival. All amounts will be charged to the credit card on file, unless instructed otherwise.
Villa Cancellation Policies
1). Once the guest’s signed rental contract is confirmed with a deposit, should the guest cancel in writing prior to 60 days of arrival, half of the initial deposit (usually 25% of rent) will be refunded to the card on file, less a 3.50% cancel/admin fee of the deposit. Should the villa owner be able to replace the reservation in whole or in part, the (prorated) un-refunded balance of the initial deposit will be returned less any re-booking costs incurred. Should the owner not be able to replace the reservation, the balance of the initial deposit is forfeited.
PANDEMIC/EPIDEMIC EXCEPTION: Should, at 60 days prior to arrival, a declared Pandemic or Epidemic threaten to prevent reasonable air transport options to the Cayman Islands, the guest may cancel and the entire initial deposit will be refunded, less a processing/admin fee of 3.50%.
2). Once full payment has been made (or the 60-day mark has passed and the guest has not paid the balance), should the guest cancel in writing, GCVC will refund any occupancy taxes, cleaning fees, cancelable services, and refundable damage deposits to the card on file. The dates will be opened on the calendar for rebooking. Should the reservation be replaced in whole or part, the guest will receive up to 100% of monies paid less a 3.50% admin/processing fee or rebooking charges incurred. Should GCVC not be able to replace the reservation, the rent and service fee will be forfeited; however, the guest will receive a credit for 25% of rent to be used for a similar stay at the same property, taken within 13 months of the original date of arrival.
PANDEMIC/EPIDEMIC EXCEPTION: Should a declared Pandemic or Epidemic prevent reasonable air transport options after full payment, the guest may cancel up until the day of arrival and all payments will be refunded, less a 3.50% processing/admin fee on all monies processed.
HURRICANE WARNING EXCEPTION: Should a hurricane warning (not a hurricane watch) affect Grand Cayman’s ability to welcome guests; the guest will have the option of rescheduling the trip with generous owner flexibility or a full 100% refund of all monies paid with no deduction.
We strongly advise the purchase of travel insurance to indemnify the risk of cancellation, weather delay, airline interruption, medical reasons for non-travel, etc.
Trip Interruption Insurance
These are expensive vacations so we ask that you please take the time to read all the benefits and coverages that come with travel insurance underwritten by Nationwide. Medicare stops at the border, as do many health plans.. This is not just “trip insurance,” as there are many benefits. We offer standard trip insurance, as well as “cancel for any reason” (CFAR trip insurance).
Rental Policies & Liability Waiver
I. Any weddings or events involving invited guests (not on the contract) must be approved in writing.
II. Exceeding the overnight occupancy limit risks eviction with no refund. Each villa & condo has a Government-licensed maximum occupancy.
III. No pets are allowed in any of the properties without written permission.
IV. Please do not smoke inside the property. The terraces and patios are used by our guests who smoke. Please do not allow your guests who smoke to litter the beach or landscaping with cigarette butts. Evidence of smoking inside will result in a $500 smoke remediation charge.
V. Swimming pools are patently dangerous. Grand Cayman does not require fences or barriers around swimming pools. Please supervise your non-swimming guests and children. Neither property owner, manager nor GCV will be responsible for any accident or injury sustained by you or your guests while occupying the property.
VI. If the property offers optional pool heat and for some reason the heater fails to work, the limitation of damages will be the higher of $250/week or paid cost to have the pool heated. Heat pumps (basically air-conditioner compressors) can be finicky, and parts scarce, on a Caribbean island. Manager will make efforts to repair of course.
VII. No fishing equipment or scuba tanks inside the house please. Most villas have tile floors which can crack easily.
VIII. Please conserve fresh water. All fresh water on the island is supplied by reverse-osmosis desalinization. Be mindful of laundry, shower and flushing uses. Additionally, please put nothing inorganic in the toilet other than toilet-tissue paper, as each home uses a septic tank (no wipes, pads, cosmetics or feminine products.)
IX. This island (like all islands) has ants/bugs looking for food, especially sugar/sweets. The homes all spray periodically, and try to keep “Raid” or baits under the sink, prevention is a better solution.
X. Please do not rearrange the furniture or beds. Please leave the furniture in its place. The maids cannot reassemble/replace the furniture after you have left. We will have to hire movers at your expense.
XI. Villas in Cayman are typically “self-catering.” Unless specifically advertised, all villas are cleaned before and after your stay. No maid service is included, but is available by arranging with the on-island manager.
Accidental Damage Protection
Whether renting a hotel, condo or villa; rental guests are ultimately responsible for damage caused to the property/contents by themselves or their invited guests. ADP coverage offers our guests some peace of mind with respect to accidental breakage of household items.
While your credit card is held on file for intentional/negligent damage or loss; our villa owners realize that accidents happen and things break and wear out. We also want to encourage our guests to report any damage during their stay so that the manager may repair/replace for the next guest.
In lieu of holding a larger security/damage deposit, our owners have opted to offer an Accidental Damage Protection Plan that covers the guest for a minimum of $1,000 of accidental, non-negligent damage to the house and contents. The cost of this protection is covered within the Villa Guest Service charge.
*ADP does not cover damage/loss to kayaks, bicycles, hammocks, games or other outdoor chattel/furniture an owner may include with the rental. Damage to those items could have occurred from persons not renting the house, due to being out of sight/supervision of the guest (if outdoors).
ADP Coverage is for accidental damage to “breakables”: such as coffee carafes, blenders, small appliances, window/door screens, draperies, table top glass, lamps, furniture, cook-tops, etc. It does not cover owner consumables like pots and pans, glassware, sheets, linens, pillows, towels, toiletries, etc.
It is the obligation of the guest to report any damage to the local manager right away to be covered by the policy. After departure may be too late for us to replace the items or have them repaired for the next arriving guest.
We want to encourage guests to let us know what damage they found on arrival. We ask that they please alert the manager immediately or email our offices so that we can get the repairs ordered. In the end we want each guest to have the same first impression for the property.
Most owners also hold a refundable cleaning/maintenance deposit to cover excess cleaning, soiled upholstery, removal of sand from the house or returning heavy furniture that has been moved by guests.
It also does not cover accidental damage that results from weddings or special events held during a guest’s stay. Supplemental wedding/event deposits are used for that purpose.
Garbage Collection
Please put out bagged and tied garbage bags (in the cans on the road) every night. When the garbage truck comes is often a moving target, and you do not want to have any dogs, cats, rodents or otherwise cause a problem with the trash. The island has a limited # of garbage trucks and they often come by very early in the morning.
Air-Conditioning
Please make sure all windows and doors are closed securely if you use the air-conditioning. The island is humid and ( if doors or windows are open) the coils can “ice-over” preventing the system from cooling properly. An A/C technician visit is CI$250 minimum and is at least 2 hours away. Electricity is 4X the US national average, so please be vigilant. Many of the homes also require a supplemental (refundable) excess cleaning and damage deposit to protect artwork OR for guests who leave the villa a mess (sink full of dirty dishes, sand on the floor, furniture moved all over the house, etc.)
Maintenance Items
If you need anything, call (use phone please) your property manager FIRST (name, email and phone number on page 1 of your contract). They are on-island and are most likely the right person to make things happen. If you are not able to reach them OR not happy with the progress, please call and email us to know what the issues are and what has been done or not done to remedy the situation. Sometimes, guests will wait until very late in their stay (or afterwards) and then unload a “list” of items that made them unhappy. We want to get things sorted out earlier than that–we can’t fix what we don’t know about!
Use of Premises
Guest covenants to use the property for private purpose and cannot sublet or convey use to another party. Guest also will not hold a wedding, reception, party or other event with invited guests without prior approval.
Grand Cayman Villas & Condos, LLC – USA (GCV) operates strictly as the marketing and booking agency for rental villas and condos located in the Cayman Islands. GCV neither owns nor manages individual properties. We are exclusively a booking agency with no liability for any physical or financial injury sustained by guests during their stay. In the (very unlikely) event that a contracted villa is either unavailable or uninhabitable for a guest’s stay (for whatever reason), GCV will make every effort to obtain similar (or better) accommodations for your stay subject to your approval. GCV maintains strong relationships with other on-island managers, homeowners, other villa-rental agents and the Cayman Islands Tourism Department. However, should acceptable accommodations not be found, the limit of financial liability for GCV will be a prompt, full refund of all monies paid OR an alternate stay at the subject property (at the choice of the guest). Evacuations or partial-stays due to hurricanes will result in a refund of up to the total amount of the rental charge, prorated by number of nights stayed. Hurricane-related cancellation benefits are limited to hurricane “warnings” affecting the Cayman Islands.
