Welcome to Grand Turk

Boasting brand-new port facilities, this island in the Turks and Caicos has become one of the Caribbean’s hottest cruise destinations

By Justin Boyd

Aided by the addition of a state-of-the-art cruise center, Grand Turk, the low-key capital isle of Turks and Caicos in the British West Indies, has become a popular port of call for Caribbean cruises.

Situated about 550 miles southeast of Miami and 30 miles south of the Bahamas, Turks and Caicos is made up of more than 40 islands and small cays, of which only 10 are inhabited. At the eastern end of the chain, Grand Turk is the financial and administrative center of the islands, yet it still retains a somewhat rustic atmosphere.

Despite possessing the tropical appeal of a Caribbean destination -- miles of pristine white-sand beaches, the world's third largest coral reef system and nearly 350 days of sunshine a year -- Grand Turk has not been on the radar of most vacationers, mainly due to government guidelines that limited development. Rather, tourism efforts in Turks and Caicos have primarily focused on resort-studded Providenciales, the island where most international flights arrive.

But in February 2006, Grand Turk debuted onto the mainstream cruising circuit when Carnival Corp., with the blessing of the islands' government, completed the $42 million, 14-acre Grand Turk Cruise Center. The center has transformed Grand Turk from a relatively obscure island known mostly as a haven for avid divers into the latest hot spot on Caribbean cruise itineraries.

Located about three miles from Cockburn Town, the government seat and only city on Grand Turk, the cruise facility is a passenger-processing center equipped with resortlike amenities. Along with a pier that can accommodate two ships and up to 5,000 passengers daily, the facility has an expansive recreation area. Passengers can stroll the 800-foot beach, swim in sparkling waters, take a dip in a swimming pool and enjoy the warmth of the sun in a chaise lounge. Visitors also can rent private cabanas for the day. The center features a variety of retail shops and the Caribbean's largest Margaritaville, a restaurant and bar from singer and entrepreneur Jimmy Buffett.

In its first year of operation, the cruise center hosted 136 ships that brought about 295,000 passengers to the area, according to Carnival.

"Our development has acted as kind of a catalyst," says Capt. Gerry Ellis, director of port development for Carnival. "The development has brought in a lot of jobs. We've had a positive impact on the area."

In addition to building the cruise terminal, Carnival significantly helped shape the island's infrastructure. The company contributed millions of dollars in improvement funds to help pave roads, refurbish buildings and landmarks and create nature trails. The line also worked with local tour operators to develop a wide array of shore excursions that passengers can purchase through the cruise lines.

With its clear turquoise waters and ivory-sand beaches, Grand Turk lends itself to an array of water sports and activities. Scuba diving and snorkeling tours showcase the area's stunning coral reef, which drops to a depth of 8,000 feet a little less than 300 yards from the beach, as well as the impressive marine life, which includes stingrays and migrating humpback whales.

The "Semi-Sub" tour gives visitors an opportunity to see what is below the water's surface without actually getting wet. On this narrated adventure, passengers can observe aquatic life through thick glass windows and enjoy the beauty of Grand Turk's coral reefs, all from the dry comfort of a semisubmersible craft. Guests also can dive from the vessel's rear platform for a more up-close look at the marine life -- scuba and snorkel equipment is provided. Other water-based excursions include kayaking and championship-caliber deep-sea fishing.

Explore Grand Turk's interior with the "Hop On, Hop Off" excursion, a narrated bus tour that allows guests to explore at their leisure. New, fully air-conditioned buses travel the length of the island, making stops about every 15 minutes at attractions such as Her Majesty's Prison, the 1852 Grand Turk Lighthouse and landmarks in Cockburn Town's historic district. The tour is so named because passengers can get on and off the bus as they wish. Admission to selected attractions along the way is included in the excursion price.

Other land-based offerings include horseback rides along the beach, horse-drawn carriage tours, bike-and-hike tours, dune buggy excursions and trips to uninhabited islands such as Gibbs Cay.

While the cruise terminal is owned by Carnival, the port and its facilities are available to all cruise lines. Carnival, Costa, Holland America, Celebrity, Princess and Oceania are among lines that schedule stops at Grand Turk, along with the six-star ships of Regent, Silversea and Crystal. Itineraries typically range from seven to 14 days and embark from ports in Florida and New York.

Carnival offers four- and five-night cruises that make calls in Grand Turk as well as Half Moon Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas. At press time, Vacations To Go, a national travel agency specializing in cruise discounts, showed starting rates for inside cabins as low as $349 to $659 per person through mid-April 2007 aboard the Carnival Legend and Elation, departing from Fort Lauderdale and Port Canaveral, FL. Beginning Aug. 13, 2007, the three-port, five-night trips continue aboard the 2,654-passenger Imagination; rates for these cruises, which leave from Miami, range from $259 to $609 per person for an inside cabin.

Information: To view itineraries and prices for cruises that visit Grand Turk, visit Vacations To Go or call (800) 338-4962.

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