Grand Turk - Number 13

One of my favorite places to go on a cruise ship is Grand Turk.  I don't know if it's a great place for you to spend a week, unless you really love beaches and diving, but it's a fantastic place to spend the day and I would gladly jump on board any ship heading in that direction.

We were there last May as a family: my husband, Scott, 3 daughters (aged 13, 11, and 8 at the time), and I.  After looking over all of the options the cruise ship had for shore excursions and having done my own research (since Hurricane Ike hit the island a few years ago, options are pretty limited), we decided to hang at Jimmy's place for the day. 

The Grand Turk Margaritaville is a paradise.  It's steps from the cruise terminal, with a HUGE, free pool that's totally kid friendly (less than 3 feet deep throughout the pool) with wonderful amenities and a great show to watch as people hanging by the bar drink more and more margaritas.  Usually the debauchary doesn't spill over to the 'far' part of the pool, so it's really an okay place to take the kids.

The pool at Margaritaville (away from the bar)

When we were there last, the cabanas were still shells, having been ripped apart by Hurricane Ike.  It appears from everything I've read that they are back up and available to rent once again, which we might consider when we go back this October.  Cost to rent a cabana, if you can't live without your own private space that's fully air conditioned while you're lounging next to the pool, or want assurances that you won't get rained on and soaked to the skin, is about $250.  This includes some soft drinks and wait-service so that you can have your margaritas delivered to you (and your food, too).  Many people feel that Margaritaville's food is overpriced ... but my feeling on this is that if you are allowed the use of such a beautiful facility without a 'per head cover charge', the food is really not all that overpriced.  The drinks and food are priced comparably to what you'd expect to pay at a nice resort ... not cheap, but really not out of line, either.  With a nice assortment of salads, nachos, burgers, and chicken, the food is diet friendly if you'd like it to be - or NOT!  Your choice.  And choice is what you want when you're on vacation, right?

So, if you're not a pool sort, maybe you like the beach!  And Grand Turk has some beautiful beaches.  In May we strolled along the beach near the cruise terminal and collected sea glass to our heart's content.  Apparently we got some pretty rare pieces as one of the local bar owners offered to trade us 2 bottles of Whiskey for one good sized chunk of amber colored glass.  We declined, since my 13 year old was the proud owner of said glass, and she hasn't developed a taste for whiskey yet (Lord willing, she never will!).

a view of our ship, the Carnival Destiny, from the entrance to the beach

If you're not the 'lounge chair potato' type, Grand Turk offers some of the best snorkeling and diving in the Caribbean.  I'm working on my scuba certification and hope to have it in place prior to our trip in October.  If I make it (the pool cert is easy, the deep water cert is going to be a challenge to schedule) in time, I'll have photos and personal experiences to share after that trip.  Horseback riding and a trip via golf cart (available for rent for about $80 outside the cruise terminal) to the lighthouse, or a bike ride around the island are great alternatives for the more adventurous.  There are spas and some light shopping to be had on the island as well, although 'town' is kind of sleepy and didn't really seem like a place you'd want to spend too much time.  If you're looking for a souvineir of your visit, the cruise terminal area has a variety of shops including Ron Jon Surf Shop, Margaritaville, and a few local stands ... although I doubt very much that too many of the crafts are really made locally.

Spa treatments and local inns are available as well.  If you're looking for a relaxing beach day in the middle of a busy cruise, this is the island to take advantage of the sun and beautiful, clear water.  If you'd like a longer trip ... assuming you don't require constant entertainment and actually enjoy relaxing ... Grand Turk could be an idyllic spot for you as well.  When we go back in October, I hope to check out one of the local bed and breakfast spots to have information to share with you as well. 

For a great resource on Grand Turk, I recommend this site by the Turks and Caicos tourism board:

http://www.turksandcaicostourism.com/activities-grand-turk.html

or the forum on Grand Turk on CruiseCritic.com:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/forumdisplay.php?f=385

This forum will give you great insight by other travellers into private tour companies, places to spend the day, where NOT to go, and general advice.  Just make sure that when taking advice from others ... yes, even me ... you keep in mind that individual opinions can vary widely depending on the expectations said traveller had when they arrived at their destination and how well those expectations matched up to their experience.

In my opinion, to have the best possible travel experience, research your trip ahead of time, make your plans, and then go with an open mind ... the best laid plans tend to go haywire due to weather, miscommunications, and other unforseen things.  Sometimes, the plans that don't go the way you wanted them to turn out to be your best vacation memories! 

Back tomorrow with number 12 ... in the meantime, happy travels!