GRAND TURK CRUISE CENTER| Docking

"WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS!" Eighty-five percent of the homes on the island were either damaged or destroyed. This created a temporary halt to this island as a cruise stop.
However, the Grand Turk Cruise Center, operated by Carnival Cruise Lines, is being quickly repaired. No damage was done to the cruise ship pier, and minimal damage was done to the retail and restaurant complex. Carnival has committed to spending millions of dollars to help bolster the cruise industry superstructure there. The Grand Turk Cruise Center - closed since the passing of Hurricane Ike last September - welcomed back its first cruise ship on October 8, 2008, the 2,642-passenger Carnival Destiny. Today the cruise center is hopping. Many of the shops are open, Jimmy Buffet's place is lively. There is free access to the lagoon style pool; great swimming right in front of the ship; and excursions are coming back up slowly. The water is still beautiful and you can walk for miles on beautiful beaches. Consider it your private island beach day where you can walk on and off the ship at leisure.

ABOUT GRAND TURK CRUISE CENTER

The Grand Turk Cruise Center which opened in 2006 has become one of the cruise industry’s most popular Caribbean destinations. This innovative island adventure is a state of the art luxury cruise ship destination operated by Miami-based Carnival Corporation; now the largest private employer on the island. The cruise center staff, combined with shore excursion operators, comprises approximately 80 percent of non-government jobs in Grand Turk. Ships dock at a pier on the southwestern tip of the island which has been built to accommodate two super-class vessels simultaneously, including Queen Mary 2 and other large class vessels. The short walk from the berthed ships to the cruise center (approximately 390 feet) allows guests ease of embarking and debarking at their leisure.

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DOCKING

     Before Carnival Corporation designed and built the Grand Turk Cruise Center, Grand Turk was a little known tourist destination. Now due to the $60 million project, Grand Turk is becoming the destination of choice for a Caribbean port. Today, it is a gateway to a magnificent destination which encompasses a state-of-the-art pier, 14 acres of landscaped grounds offering an 1,000-foot-long private beach, swimming pool, and a variety of retail shops, including the Caribbean’s largest “Margaritaville”-themed bar and restaurant. The Grand Turk Cruise Center is not so much a port but a tourism village with restaurants and souvenir stores. When you dock, you are only minutes away from shopping, the beach and water sport activities. Located in the cruise center is Tony’s Car Rental which offers car, scooter and bicycle rentals. Taxi fares are set in advance with fares listed on posted signs. A ride from the cruise terminal to the downtown area should be around $7. The taxi stand is located in the cruise center behind the shops.

See GRAND TURK CRUISE CENTERS... LIVE...on their WEBCAM!

     The Welcome Center's design is based on the Bermudian-style architecture prevalent in Grand Turk during the golden age of the island's salt industry in the 17th and 18th centuries. Visitors to the Cruise Center may also notice the seemingly out-of-place chimneys on many of the buildings. Although they were not necessary given the island's warm climate, they were considered a "must" by the transplanted Bermudians wanting to recreate the look of their old homes.

     Free services in the Welcome Center include restrooms, locker rooms, lounge chairs in the pool and beach area. For shading, free umbrellas are available in the pool area only. For the beach, clam shells are offered for two lounge chairs; those available by the beach area rent for $20US. Food and beverage facilities, shops snorkeling equipment rentals, beach floats are all available also. Pool side cabanas are available for rent through your shipboard shore excursion departments. Besides guests having the opportunity to swim in the facility's massive swimming pool, relax on an 1,000-foot-long private beach and dine at the on-site Margaritaville restaurant and lounge, there are numerous shore excursions available, including Gibbs Key tour, dune buggy rentals, swimming with horses and fishing and snorkeling expeditions.



The 1,000-foot-long private beach, swimming pool, and a variety of retail shops, including the Caribbean’s largest “Margaritaville”-themed bar and restaurant.



Poolside Cabanas: Take in the beautiful view of the magnificent swimming pool and ocean, as you relax in comfort in your cabana, complete with an outdoor shower and private waiter service. The cabana rental rate is per cabana. Only one guest need purchase the reservation for the group (maximum 4 guests). Cabanas are not air conditioned, but have ceiling fans and a window that can be opened to let in the breeze. Guests must be able to climb three steps to access cabanas. The Cabanas were listed on Carnival for $99 and had to be purchased onboard. Book your cabana as soon as you get onboard with the shore excursion desk as they are limited in number.

                                                Grand Turk FlowRider

The new Grand Turk FlowRider, similar to RCCL's FlowRider onboard their newest ships, is the only attraction of its kind at a cruise port facility. It provides guests the opportunity to participate in both body boarding and stand-up board surfing. The FlowRider attraction is currently available to all cruise ships that call at Grand Turk; besides Carnival Cruise Lines it includes Holland America Lines, Princess Cruises, the Yachts of Seabourn, and Costa Cruises, among others.
The concept is an artificial wave created by a pair of high-pressure water jets that produce a thin, two- to three-inch layer of water moving over a pre-formed and cushioned surface at high speed. The FlowRider is operated by Grand Turk’s Margaritaville restaurant and bar. The FlowRider is now up and running. Tickets to it are sold onboard through the shore excursion desk for ships calling at Grand Turk. Carnival also expects to offer FlowRider tickets online in the near future. Prices are $24 for body boarding for a half-hour on the ride and $34 for hour-long stand-up surfing sessions.

SHOPPING

CRUISE CENTER: Visitors to the cruise center have the opportunity to peruse through a 45,000 sq. ft. shopping area which includes a 10,000 sq. ft. Dufry duty-free shop, and 35,000 sq. ft. of high-end jewelry stores, an array of unique and world-renowned apparel and t-shirt stores, locally crafted souvenirs and gifts, and food and beverage facilities. If you collect stamps or know a stamp collector, a visit to the Philatelic Bureau located within the cruise center is a must; the brightly colored stamps are highly sought after by collectors around the world. As of December 2008, there is not much of a town to shop in. All that remains are the shops at the pier. Grand Turk Cruise Centre has printed more than 1,000 T-shirts brandishing the phrase “Yes We Can!” as a sign of hope for the cruise centre after surviving Hurricane Ike. All proceeds from the T-shirts sold will go to the Grand Turk recovery efforts.

DOWNTOWN: Smaller arts and crafts outlets can be found throughout the island. Innovative work can be found by artists who use the natural environment to create designer mirrors, lamps and other household decorations. If looking for souvenirs or presents for loved ones back home, the Turks & Caicos National Museum has a wonderful gift shop. Another option, however, would be X’s Place, an arts and crafts dealership on Dukes Street definitely worth checking out.
A big business in Grand Turk is Dot's Enterprises, which consists of Dot's Food Fair for Groceries, Dot’s Liquors for rums, D & G Wholesale for specialty foods, and Dot's Boutique for beauty, health, and apparel.

GETTING AROUND

       Within the cruise center, there is a four-acre transportation hub that provides rental cars, taxis, vans and buses for all land-based departures/excursions.

For water borne excursions, they have constructed a small pier to easily and exclusively accommodate those excursions right from within the welcome center. If you are planning more than a few cab rides each day, rental cars or scooters are cheaper.

RENTAL CARS:   Road conditions vary from good in urban locations to fair in rural areas. Vehicles travel on the left, traffic tends to be light and the terrain is flat. Wild donkeys often walk on the roads, presenting a hazard to drivers, especially at night. Road signs are not prevalent, but as there are few roads on the island, finding one's way with a tourist map is generally not a problem. Watch out for unmarked hazards such as blind intersections or changes in road conditions. Secondary roads are often unpaved and have ruts and potholes.
BUSES: With your wristband as your admission, you can enjoy Bus Tour – the first of its kind in the Caribbean – offering a tour of the highlights of Grand Turk aboard specially-designed buses that run in a continuous loop around the island, enabling you to hop on and off the bus as often as you like at any of the scheduled stops.

THE GUANA ISLAND BUS LOOP:   This unique tour not only allows you to traverse the entire island – it also includes admission to three of Grand Turk’s most popular attractions; Her Majesty’s Prison, a 19th century prison that was recently refurbished, The Lighthouse Nature Park, with tours of the historic lighthouse grounds and two nature trails and a recreation of a salt salina where you can learn the importance of salt to Grand Turk and its interesting history. The buses will stop approximately every 15 minutes, allowing you to hop on or off, tailoring your sightseeing experience to your interests. Souvenirs and refreshments are available for purchase at all of the stops. This excursion is "At Your Leisure" and runs continuously all day. You can spend as much time at each of the venues as you like. Stops 2 and 3 in the Old Town area run both northbound, to the lighthouse, and southbound, back to the cruise terminal. This is not a guided tour you are free to explore the stops on your own. Pickup at the cruise terminal ends one hour prior to the ship’s departure. Tickets must be purchased onboard your ship. You will be given a wristband for identification to ride the Guana bus. The Hop On/Hop Off bus of late was running and billed as a Hurricane Ike excursion to see the island damage. By purchasing a ticket you would be making a donation to the rebuilding fund.   The cost is less than $20 but you don't really Hop Off anywhere, you just make a trip around the island. All the things that you would normally see are damaged and closed for the most part.

GOLF CART RENTALS: You can rent a golf cart from Tony for around $100 and travel around most of the island yourself. Remember to drive on the left! Spend some money at Manta's Restaurant and some of the other small shops on the main street. Purchases were really appreciated. Get out on your own and help the residents directly with your dollars and good wishes. Make this one of your memorable cruises destinations--for a different reason!

HORSE AND CARRIAGE RIDE: A fun, whimsical, narrated, historical tour of Cockburn Town and the countryside by horse drawn carriage. On this excursion you will enjoy the sites and sounds of Grand Turk’s quaint, Bermuda-style town and the area just north of town. Your guide will point out areas of interest, such as the “salt pans” - evidence of Grand Turk’s colorful “salt raking” history. You will have some free time in Cockburn Town before continuing back to the cruise terminal to round out this excursion.
Duration: 1.5 Hours Tickets must be purchased onboard your ship. Check to see if they are available for your cruise date.

HISTORIC COCKBURN TOWN

     Cockburn Town (pronounced "Coburn") is an intimate Caribbean paradise easily discovered on foot. There are only two main streets, smothered in sand, trod by an occasional donkey and lined with pastel-painted colonial buildings. Downtown Grand Turk has many Bermuda-style wooden houses erected by the wealthy Bermudian expatriate society that once dominated the salt trade.
        The town is known for its long, narrow streets and old street lamps. There's not a lot here, with the exception of a handful of inns and eateries, but you can't escape the charm of their tiny island. It consists of one main street following the coastline and a few cross streets (most of which are paved). The sleepy town offers only the most-basic conveniences.



Narrow streets and alleys

     The major streets of Duke and Front host historic 18th and 19th century Bermudian architecture landmarks including restaurants, and the National Museum of Turks & Caicos Islands, which houses the oldest shipwreck in the western hemisphere, Molasses Reef Wreck. The photos above were taken before Hurricane Ike. The little town is in the process of renovation. (See photos of the devastation at the end of this site.)

Front Street                                             The beach fronting the main street.

     Two of these buildings are now popular inns, another is the governor's residence, as well as other government offices, the public library, churches, private residences and fraternities. Other historic sites include the Lighthouse, Fire Hill and the Hawks Nest Anchorage



Post Office: go to the upstairs office and purchase beautiful stamps.          Cockburn Street

Carnival's recovery efforts are not limited to the port itself, and the company is rebuilding island facilities like roads, signs and public areas, as well as continuing to take care of the port facility’s 42 employees, many of whom lost their homes. Attractions like the lighthouse and Turks and Caicos National Museum are open. Others, like the Salt Museum and former prison, should reopen by mid-December.

Jack's Shack is a small establishment on Grand Turk that offers food, drinks, beach access, floats, snorkel gear, lockers and rest rooms. It is much less crowded and the drinks (beer $4) are also cheaper than Margaritaville's ($8). If any of your excursions are cancelled this would be a good place to just spend the day. Jack and Janet are regrouping after the storm, still running on generators as of December (2008). And still serving great hamburgers and Pink Flamingos! To get the Jack's Shack, as you come off the pier, turn left behind the palm trees and walk about 10 minutes past where the Carnival Cruise Center property ends. When you see a deck with blue and red umbrella tables around a tiki bar. That's Jack's!!



    Jacks's Shack on the beach                                                        ...and Jack!

The Turks and Caicos National Museum
     Grand Turk is home to the country’s only National Museum, located on Front Street in Cockburn Town in one of the oldest stone buildings on the islands named Guinep House. The museum is still standing and operational (although without air conditioning). The people running it are delightful, and it's really worth a visit.   The Museum chronicles the country’s life as well as the legend of the Molasses Reef wreck. The recovered artifacts of the "Molasses Reef Wreck" (1513), the oldest known European shipwreck in the New World, are displayed along with manuscripts, prints and items of art and culture relating to the history of the Turks & Caicos Islands.

     The Museum also houses the only dedicated gallery to the Lucayans who were the original inhabitants of the islands from 700 AD and completely disappeared by 1520. The gallery features a 1000 year old Lucayan paddle which is the only Lucayan wooden artifact to be found where it was lost in the world.
     The Museum shop offers visitors a range of books, crafts, postcards and posters as well as a verandah overlooking the sea. A new Space Gallery was opened in 2002 at the museum and includes, photos, a starry night sky, Space toys from the period and personal recollections from John Glenn and Scott Carpenter's splashdown just off the shores. (John Glenn landed off the coast of Grand Turk in the 1960s.) A first hand account of this historical event includes postage stamps and a special envelope autographed by John Glenn, which would be of interest to stamp collectors, postal historians and those interested in Turks and Caicos Islands history. Look for the Turks and Caicos postage stamp depicting Mickey Mouse in snorkeling gear.
     For $5 per person you can see the Turks and Caicos National Museum.

The Oddfellows Lodge.

       The Oddfellow's Lodge/Eunice Lodge. This building is thought to have been constructed circa 1799, which makes the Lodge one of the oldest buildings on Front Street. According to local folklore, the proclamation abolishing slavery in 1834 was read from this building. The 'Order of Oddfellows' was set up in 1894 as a Civic Association, incorporated under the 'Friendly Societies Act.' The Lodge was previously located on the beach opposite the Manta House; however the building was destroyed in 1960's 'Hurricane Donna.' The Sandbar now stands where it used to be located.

Grand Turk Lighthouse
     The lighthouse is over 150 years old, brought in pieces from the UK where it had been constructed in 1852. It has been restored and still works guarding the northern tip of the island, (opposite end of the island from the cruise terminal). The lighthouse and lighthouse keeper’s house is a prized historic site and is protected by the National Trust. The Lighthouse provides some shade, a picnic area and an excellent viewing spot for the whales in February and March. The lighthouse hill overlooks North Creek, an inland body of water or lake that a growing number of historians argue is the closest fit to the description that Columbus gave for the island that he first encountered on his 1492 voyage to the New World. On days when ships are docked at the cruise center, there is a guide who charges a fee (US$7 per adult/$3.50 Child); otherwise, the site is open and available for viewing at no charge. .

Her Majesty's Prison





      The prison, another Carnival Corporation restoration project, is old enough to have held runaway slaves and slaves who survived the wreck of the Trouvadore in 1841. Before it closed to become a tourist attraction, it would have held its share of modern-day drug runners.

The Governor's Residence and Beach



The Governor's residence at Waterloo. Access is limited to the residence but the beach in front is well utilized.

Grand Turk Inn .

     Make new friends by purchasing a Day Pass and visiting Sandy and Katrina, Australian sisters who own the Grand Turk Inn. From the secluded and private beach, to the interesting conversations with these friendly and accommodating sisters, to the wonderful luncheon served by them, this is a highly-recommended "on your own" excursion for anyone looking for a peaceful day at a secluded beach with pampering! The Inn received some damage, but with their positive attitudes and determination they have it up and running again. A taxi will cost around $6 per person to get to the Inn about 3 miles from the cruise port. For $40 per person, plus tax, you will have access to the living room of a suite to leave your belongings while at the beach, outdoor rinse-off shower and separate toilet facilities.
     There is a small white sand beach across the street from the Inn (see photo) and they provide beach mats, floats, snorkel gear and fins.
     Lunch is served in a shady Breezeway area - (club sandwiches, coleslaw, potato salad, dessert pie, sodas and bottled water). You are welcome to bring your own beer and wine. The Inn is located within easy walking distance to historical downtown buildings.

They require a valid credit card to guarantee a reservation - cancel policy is one week prior to arrival.

Other things you'll see in your travels around the island....

     These two beautiful horses were walking along the beach one morning, grazing on the beach grasses. Although they are not wild horses, horses are allowed to wander all over the island, giving them access to the grazing land they need. Almost everyone on Grand Turk has a fence around their yard to keep the horses out of their gardens! Donkeys also wander freely over the island. These two donkeys were near the top of the bluff overlooking North Creek near the north end of Grand Turk, not far from the Imperial Lighthouse. Notice the short grasses and small leaves on the small trees. These plants reveal that Grand Turk is a desert island that receives only a small amount of rainfall each year.

ECOLOGY ATTRACTIONS

Bird Watching
The salt ponds and inland marshes serve as excellent feeding grounds for resident and migratory birds. Search for Great Blue Herons, Flamingos, Osprey and Pelicans alongside Egrets, Terns, Frigates, Boobies and other water birds. As part of the National Parks system more than twelve small cays have been set aside and protected for breeding grounds. 170 species of bird can be found in the Turks and Caicos Islands from Pelicans and Flamingos to Osprey and Cuban Crows. The variety is staggering and the photographs that have been taken here have been published across the world. On North Caicos in particular the tidal flats on the South side of the island attract scores of birds including wild Pink Flamingos that regularly inhabit the aptly named Flamingo Pond. Turks and Caicos also is home to the West Indian Whistling-Duck, a rare bird that gets its name from a distinctive whistling call.