Tuesday, April 2, 2024

Best Things to Do in Grand Turk in One Day

grand turk carnival cruise

Grand Turk is a haven for divers, located along the third-largest barrier reefs; the island has some great diving spots off the west coast on the Columbus Landfall National Park. Once on the island, you will head over to the horse shelter north of the cruise center, where a horse will be handpicked for you, and you will start the minutes excursion. The north creek doesn’t offer much, but you might see some stingrays, barracudas, and turtles in the water.

grand turk carnival cruise

Best Turks and Caicos Excursions on a Cruise

Near this spot at the back of the port is also where you’ll find the port exit to grab a taxi to explore the rest of Grand Turk. Head to the right and you’ll pass through some shops before getting to an outdoor restaurant/bar (Beach Whale) and a more “beachy” area where you can relax. The first thing that you’ll notice when you visit the Grand Turk port is that your ship is close to the beach… as in real close.

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Go Shopping in the Grand Turk Cruise Center

Discover an oasis of green set in aquamarine seas, ringed by a pristine coral reef and the steep wall of the continental shelf. While everyone wants to be safe when going ashore and keep locals healthy, the main reason for the guests onboard to step ashore is to have fun. What would a list of shore excursions in Grand Turk be without mentioning the local cuisine?

Grand Turk Cruise Port Wi-Fi

If you’d like something very authentic to Grand Turk, try heading to the National Museum Gift Shop. Here you’ll find books, postcards, and gifts related to the island. The Grand Turk retail outlet also hosts many items from local artisans, including handmade baskets, sailboats, and more.

Go on Grand Turk Excursions

The lighthouse is located north of the cruise port center, and you can access it only by vehicular means. The lighthouse is not functional, and for $3 per person, you can gain access to the grounds around the lighthouse. For the adventurous ones seeking a unique experience, Salt Cay is your destination, and it’s just a short flight away from the Grand Turk.

If you want to learn more about the intriguing history of the Turks & Caicos Islands, you might want to visit the national museum located on Grand Turk. Located about 500 yards up the beach from the Cruise Center, this restaurant is a favorite of both locals and tourists. Besides a gorgeous setting right on the beach, Jack’s Shack is famous for their conch fritters, jerk chicken and rum punch.

Catamaran Boat Rides

Nearby is the largest Margaritaville in the Caribbean, featuring a massive pool with a swim-up bar and a FlowRider surfing simulator. If you didn’t reserve your shore excursions ahead of time, there are tons of vendor booths within the complex for you to choose your tour. Planning excursions can be overwhelming, so try to research before visiting. Margaritaville fronts the expansive swimming pool at the Cruise Center, and Jack’s Shack is located a short walk up the coast on a perfect piece of beach with crystal clear ocean water. The beach is phenomenal at Grand Turk and the biggest draw for the majority of passengers. You’ll see people up and down the shore, but if you want the best spot then we’d suggest heading north of the dock (to the left as you face the shore from the ship).

Food and Drinks / Entertainment

The Grand Turk Cruise Center is home to one of the largest swimming pools in the Caribbean. There is no charge to use the swimming pool and loungers, but it is “first come-first serve” and a popular attraction for cruisers. There are many shops, restaurants, and bars located within the Cruise Center boundaries, including the largest Margaritaville in the world. And if that is not enough, head over to the cruise port and visit the splash landing center. Here you will get to learn about the Friendship 7 space program, created in honor of John Glenn, the first American to orbit the earth who splash landed in Grand Turk. If you are undecided on whether to stay on the beach the whole day or ongoing on some light water activity like snorkeling, then head over to pillory beach, which has the best snorkeling spots.

Ft. of high-end jewelry stores, unique apparel and t-shirt stores, locally crafted souvenirs and gifts, and food & beverage facilities. We’ve covered the basics -- many of which are similar to other Caribbean ports of call -- let’s check out the shore excursions you will struggle to find anywhere else aside from Turks and Caicos. The Turks and Caicos National Museum offers tours year-round, a perfect spot for the history buff. Exploring the sights, town, and beaches of Grand Turk is one of our recommended ways of spending the day on Grand Turk.

The beach is located on the right as you walk down the cruise ship pier towards the cruise center. This port is technically a pier, located south of Cockburn Town and next to a stunning beach spanning nearly 780,000 square feet. You’ll see locales and tourists sunbathing, swimming, and relaxing as you walk off the ship. This port area features everything that a cruise passenger could want to enjoy the day, from a pool to a beautiful beach to easy access to the rest of the island. And it’s all there for passengers alone to enjoy, literally in the shadow of the cruise ship in some cases. The Turks and Caicos National Museum, located near the Grand Turk Cruise Center, offers visitors a chance to learn about the islands’ history.

Since some of the best snorkeling and diving areas are off the coast and it is difficult to swim out there, take a snorkel boat ride to access the best sites. Book a snorkel and dive excursion with your cruise to enjoy this fun excursion. Some of the best scuba dive excursions are only a ten-minute boat ride away from the cruise ship’s dock. Go on a catamaran boat ride and visit deserted islands and interact with the beautiful marine life. They will take you along the great coral reef to enjoy the vast marine life available off the coast of Grand Turk. If you love snorkeling this boat rides will take you to great snorkeling spots where you can snorkel to your heart’s content.

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The beach located to the left as you get off the ship can get crowded and loud. A quieter (yet rockier) stretch of sand can be found just a few minutes’ walk south of the pier. Read on for our breakdown of Grand Turk’s cruise port including address information, cruise line terminals, services and more. Also, be sure to check out Cruise Critic's ranked cruise deals from Grand Turk cruise port and see what tips, tricks and secret advice our Cruise Critic members have to say about cruises from Grand Turk.

grand turk carnival cruise

If you are brave enough, you can even zip line above the water on the last part of the course. The lighthouse was built as a guiding beacon for ships after both the British and US governments experienced sizable losses from the capsizing of their ships at the northern end of Grand Turk. This was caused by the north reef, which is a shallow treacherous reef. When cruising the eastern Caribbean itinerary, you will encounter many beautiful sand and sun beaches, and you can choose to be a beach bum on any of those Caribbean islands. Most of the western to southernmost parts of the island are found under this reserve including the cruise port and Cockburn town. It has been open to Carnival and its subsidiary cruise lines like Princess and Holland America ever since.

Visit the 18th-century prison and explore how prisoners used to be treated in the ancient days. Located on Front Street on old Cockburn town, Her Majesty’s Prison is a tourist attraction that shows the history of the Grand Turk, from architecture to culture and way of life. You will learn everything on this historical event at the Friendship 7 space program exhibition located at the cruise center. There are beautiful monuments and murals erected at the exhibition. At this time, Carnival Cruise Line has six ships scheduled in December to visit the Grand Turk Cruise Center.

Explore the colorful burst of marine life in some of the best diving spots in the world. Right from the cruise center, an island tram will take you to north creek, where you will do a short trail through the wetlands and finally get to the kayaking spot. The best thing about excursions on Grand Turk whether provided by cruise lines or local tour operator is the guides who are very professional and put your safety first.

Located on Front Street at Cockburn Town, the museum is hosted in one of the oldest buildings on the Island. The island also is among the three islands believed to have been Christopher Columbus’ landfall sites in the new world. Therefore, in order to honor this great event, if it actually happened on Grand Turk, the island has a national park called Columbus national park reserve.

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