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Grand Turk

A woman in a green bathing suit swims in the ocean at Grand Turk with a Carnival cruise ship behind her.
Caribbean, Grand Turk

What to Do at the Grand Turk Cruise Center in Turks & Caicos

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The Grand Turk Cruise Center in Turks & Caicos is a great cruise port, frequented by most of the major cruise lines, because it’s one that you can enjoy without an expensive excursion (see my post Five Things to Do in Grand Turk – Without an Excursion). I also like that Grand Turk is not a tender port, which is always a plus for me, as I get impatient with the tendering process. Grand Turk is a favorite for many reasons, which I detailed in my Four Reasons to Love the Grand Turk Cruise Port post. Towels are not provided, so bring yours from the cruise ship. Things to Do in Grand Turk When I visit the Grand Turk cruise port, I usually use it as a free beach day, although it isn’t the best beach, compared to other ports, since it’s a bit rocky (so bring water shoes)! If you’re feeling more adventurous, or not feeling a beach day, this is a wonderful port to explore via golf cart.  You can see all my Grand Turk cruise port posts below, but here’s a quick summary of my recommendations for the top things to do at the Grand Turk Cruise Port: Beware of the Grand Turk chair pirates if you want to enjoy a beach day. These locals try to rent chairs and umbrellas to cruisers, unaware that some are available at no charge. The complimentary ones are green with markings indicating they are free to use. Note that these are limited, so you may go without or pay to rent from a local if you don’t arrive early. Note: If you’re an audio/visual learner, here’s a TikTok video I made that briefly explains the Grand Turk port experience. Turks & Caicos Time Zone Keeping track of time zones can get complicated when cruising, especially for itineraries where there can be multiple time zone changes on one sailing. Your captain will make announcements during the cruise to update you on these changes, but it’s good to be aware of these differences ahead of time when making plans for your stop at the port, especially for excursions. Most cruise lines operate on “ship time” set to the time of its departing port, so for sailings off the eastern coast of the US, this is Eastern Standard Time (EST). Turks & Caicos has a complicated history of time zones, with multiple changes, and now operates on Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Exploring Grand Turk Book a Grand Turk Excursion Featured Clothes: Tainehs Bikini in Green

Exploring Grand Turk in a Golf Cart
Caribbean, Excursions, Grand Turk

Exploring Grand Turk in a Golf Cart

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Search for Grand Turk golf cart rental, and you’ll quickly realize that this is one of the most popular ports for renting a golf cart. There are many rental options, both available officially through the cruise lines or you can go on your own with a third-party vendor to save money. If you go the latter route, note that you’ll have to walk a bit outside the confines of the Grand Turk Cruise Center. You’ll just hang a right once into port and head toward the taxi stand under the brown awning and keep on going. It’s a little bit of a hike, but you can get there on foot in less than 10 minutes. The good news is that because Grand Turk golf cart rentals are so common, there are several golf cart vendors. The bad news is that because this is such a popular way to see the island they often sell out. So, if you want to explore Grand Turk via a golf cart, do not expect to rent one on the same day. You will want to plan ahead and book in advance.  A golf cart rental in Grand Turk costs around $110. What to Expect Upon arrival, you’ll need to show your driver’s license and complete a waiver, and then you’re free to go! Most vendors will provide you with an island map, but it’s an easy space to navigate as it’s just six miles in total length, from the extreme south, where the port is located, to the extreme north. Along the way, you can visit some of these awesome locations, highlighted in my Five Things to Do in Grand Turk – Without an Excursion post. One of the things I love about the Grand Turk Cruise Center is that it’s an ideal spot for a free beach day, with a gorgeous and clean beach located right at the port. On a recent visit, I decided to see what the hype was about and explore the island beyond the boundaries of just the port area, and, wow — I had an amazing time! Cost of a Golf Cart Rental in Grand Turk We rented a cart for the day from Paradise Carts, which offers a standard four-person golf cart for about $110. They provided us with a map of Grand Turk, highlighting some of the key stops along the way, and off we went! It was a bit jarring at first, as they drive on the left-hand side of the road in Grand Turk, so we had to remain mindful of that. These carts don’t exactly burn rubber, so expect also to be passed often by drivers in cars, and you’ll encounter numerous other drivers in carts, ATVS, and all manner of other vehicles along your journey.  Cockburn Town Beach (Outfit: Acelitt sleeveless dress) Highlights of Grand Turk On the way out of port, we stopped at the colorful Grand Turk sign for a quick photo opp, then headed up the western Coast, stopping at Governor’s Beach and Pillory Beach along the way. It was very windy this day, which has often been the case on my prior visits to Grand Turk, so it wasn’t optimal for a beach day, although we did enjoy a couple of hours of sand and sun. We stopped several times to enjoy the antics of the wild donkeys, visited the quaint shops of Cockburn Town, and stopped at the famous Jack’s Shack on the way back to port. It’s amazing how much we fit into one short port call (we had to be back onboard by 3:30 PM), and this was only possible because we had the freedom and flexibility of the golf cart. While I love a good Grand Turk free beach day right at port, I’m so glad I ventured out this time to see the rest of what the island has to offer. Other Things to do in Grand Turk

Five Things to do in Grand Turk
Caribbean, Grand Turk

Five Things to Do in Grand Turk – Without an Excursion

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The Grand Turk Cruise Center is a great port because there’s so much to do right at the port, as I highlighted in my Four Reasons to Love the Grand Turk Cruise Port post. If you do opt to venture out from the immediate port area, however, here are my recommendations: Golf Cart Rentals -Grand Turk is the best place to rent a golf cart, because the island itself is small and easily navigable, and you can traverse from the extreme south, where the cruise port is located, all the way to the northernmost point, home of the Grand Turk Lighthouse, is less than an hour each way. At just six miles in length, it’s best to hug the western coast on the way north from the port, as this is the more populated side with more things to do and see, including Cockburn Town. If you want to rent a cart, I recommend booking in advance, as these regularly sell out, and you are unlikely to have the ability to rent one on the spot, especially during peak season. See my Exploring Grand Turk in a Golf Cart post. Donkey Spotting – If you love nature and animals, you’ll get a kick out of Grand Turk’s wild donkey population. These cute asses are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Beaches of Grand Turk– One of the things I love about Grand Turk is that there’s a great beach right at the port. Still, if you want to get away from the crowds and enjoy a more private experience, one of Grand Turk’s most famous beaches, Governor’s Beach, is a short taxi (or golf cart) ride north from the port. It’s only 3 miles, so walking might be tempting but don’t do it. It’s not a great area for walking, with no consistent sidewalk, and the sun and heat can also become overwhelming. Another popular beach, a bit more north, is Pillory Beach. Just south of the port is White Sands Beach, although it’s not the best for swimming due to seaweed. Check out this handy Grand Turk beach map, courtesy of the Turks and Caicos Islands tourism board. Jack’s Shack – This is a wildly popular beach bar within a short distance from the pier. Jack’s Shack serves standard beach bar fare, mostly fried food and burgers, and offers beer buckets and drink specials. They’re known for some local pups who hang around to meet the tourists. Margaritaville – If you’re looking for a pool day instead of a beach day, or prefer the cruise port beach bar scene, Margaritaville Grand Turk is another option close to port. Located at the southern end of the island of Grand Turk, this location is much like most other Margaritaville cruise port locations, offering a pool, food service, and a fun party vibe. The legal drinking age in Turks & Caicos is 18, so even some of the younger cruisers can imbibe. Note: If you’re an audio/visual learner, here’s a TikTok video I made that briefly explains the Grand Turk port experience. Clothes featured in photos: Acelitt multicolor sleeveless tank dress.

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