The Cayman Islands Postal Service (CIPS), along with some companies, has made the process of finding postcodes much easier.

ECay and the new Buzz telephone book have included postcodes in all addresses. Postcode locators can be found in the Caribbean Publishing telephone book and in all post offices.

For those with Internet access, CIPS has a postcode finder on its website, www.caymanpost.gov.ky, and has given the publishers of ECay permission to use the postcode finder on the ECay website.

According to the CIPS, evidence shows that people are logging on to the website to find Cayman Islands postcodes and addressing information from the United States, the UK, Canada, Europe, Africa, the Caribbean, South America, Singapore and Japan.

In other words, anyone who is interested in staying in contact with loved ones or business associates in the Cayman Islands is updating their addresses.

Since CIPS began monitoring its website in September, an average of 12,000 people are viewing it each month.

In November the CIPS website had 12,642 hits: 5,526 were returning visitors, 2,216 were new and 4,769 were within the Cayman Islands.

ECay could not provide specific numbers but said their customers consider the postcode finder a valuable tool. 

Postmaster General Sheena Glasgow said the support of the public has been satisfactory.

“We are pleased that the public is sending the message overseas that the Cayman Islands have a new postcode system,” Ms Glasgow said.

“But we are also pleading with the public to begin using the addressing system that includes the postcode, because incorrect addressing causes delays in delivery of mail.”

Ms Glasgow added: “Contrary to what some visitors may think, we do not have home delivery of mail in the Islands. All mail that is handled by CIPS has to have a post office box number because that is our only method of delivery.”

Helpful hints on “Writing it Right” to the Cayman Islands can be found on the website under ‘Addressing Guide’.