Since when did finding a spot to lay down a beach towel on an island made of sand become a competitive sport?
We’re about to find out on a day docked at the only cruise port in the Turks and Caicos Islands.
The view from Sun Princess seems so peaceful. The water ripples in tones of deep blue and turquoise along the Grand Turk Cruise Center. A sweeping golden beach is just a short stroll away from the pier. Time to slip on a swimsuit, sandals and sunscreen for a relaxed day of sun and sipping cool drinks.
But wait…we’ve got company today. Our ship has over 4,300 guests on board and Carnival Freedom carrying another 3,000 is tying up alongside. It’s a beautiful sunny day and everyone wants to spend it on the beach. So as soon as the gangway goes down, there’s a race to the beach.
A game of Musical Chairs
The blue loungers and green umbrellas on the beach marked with GTCC logos are free for cruise guests to use. The problem is when two big ships are in port together, there isn’t enough furniture to go around and it becomes a game of musical chairs. Unless you’re off the ship as soon as possible, every free spot will be claimed. There are also some rental clamshells for two, but they were reserved by premium guests long before the cruise arrived.
You could just lay out a blanket on the sand, but it’s crowded with beachcombers. And with no natural shade, the white sand really heats up by mid-day in any season and you’re going to want chairs with an umbrella to spend any time ashore.
Further up the beach, there are more seating options near Jack’s Shack restaurant and the “Local Village,” where private concessions charge $40 or so to rent shade for the day and also sell drinks and an array of goofy water toys and floats. Everywhere, the chairs are packed so close together there’s little privacy.
There may—or may not—be options
Another alternative is a paved pool area with the Caribbean’s biggest Margaritaville restaurant and the only Starbucks on the island. But chairs here are even harder to come by unless you’re off your ship early. And you’ll be expected to buy some overpriced beers or cocktails for the privilege.
The pool zone is also lined with private beach huts if you’ve got the cash. The advantages of paying up is that they’re air conditioned and you can lock up your belongings while you go out to explore. But they don’t come cheaply. Depending on the cruise line and the time of year, cabanas start at $179 for five hours and can go up to $399 for a full day.
The Princess brochure describes the cabanas as “a home base for all of the Cruise Center activities and watersports. Go ahead and swim in the refreshing swimming pool and snorkel in the turquoise-hued waters. Try your hand at watersports. Enjoy a seaside massage and indulge in delicious fare at Jimmy Buffett’s world-famous Margaritaville restaurant and bar.” (At extra cost of course).
Cabanas are big enough for families, so you can split the cost with friends on the cruise. But here again, there are simply not enough to go around. The beach bungalows for this day had been totally booked with a long wait list weeks before our cruise even began.
Exploring further afield
A less crowded shore alternative is the more expansive public Governor’s Beach about a mile down the coast. There are concessions renting beach chairs for $10 and umbrellas for $20 for the day. There’s a catch though. It’s impossible to walk there along the beach because the off-limits Government Dock blocks the way. You need to walk along the edge of busy inland roads to get there. And when you get there, there are no change facilities or restaurants. However, when ships are in port, there are usually vendors selling souvenirs and cold drinks.
Taxis outside the Cruise Center can take you to the beach or other options further south. White Sands Beach and Boaby Rock Point feature snorkeling reefs. However, most cab drivers are more interested in persuading you to do an island sightseeing tour. Your negotiating skills and the offer of a good tip will get them to drop you off at a beach and pick you up at a set time to return to the cruise pier.
Stroll around the grounds
Another option is to plan to stay on the ship until later in the morning or walk or wade around the cruise center until people pack up from the beach and head back to their ships for lunch. The beach is always less busy in the afternoon.
An interesting exploration is a visit to a memorial to the U.S. space program. Grand Turk played a role in the pioneering 1962 Mercury Space Mission. A U.S. Navy base in operation on the island at the time ran the recovery operations and astronaut John Glenn’s first step on dry land after returning to Earth was on Grand Turk,
There’s a memorial to the historic event at the Cruise Center, and the display features a replica of the Friendship Seven space capsule. Also nearby is a statue of a breaching whale, highlighting the migration of blue and humpback whales around Grand Turk during the winter months.
Finally, shop if you must
If the Grand Turk cruise center looks familiar, it’s because the dock and its gateway shopping mall are built from the same blueprints as other ports Carnival Cruise Lines has built from scratch in the Caribbean. And that means the shops feature pretty much the same jewelry, duty-free booze and cigarettes you’ll find in any of them.
Do some research on whether the prices are indeed deals and be aware that you won’t be allowed to take your duty-free liquor purchases to your cabin on Carnival or Princess ships. Ship security will put your bottles in storage for you to take home at the end of your cruise.
No matter how you explore it, Grand Turk is a gorgeous place to spend a sunny day. This visit to an island of sand is an adventure worth developing a strategy to see it your way.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
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